Policy

Agricultural Subsidies and Animal Welfare: Paying for Suffering

Government agricultural subsidies often support the most welfare-compromising farming systems, creating misaligned incentives for welfare improvement.

Key Facts

US agricultural subsidies total approximately 20 billion dollars annually, mostly to commodity crops
EU Common Agricultural Policy distributes over 50 billion euros annually to European farmers
Most subsidies go to large industrial operations that use the most intensive animal farming methods
Very few subsidy schemes include animal welfare performance requirements
Some EU member states have introduced animal welfare payment schemes within their rural development programs

Welfare Considerations

Agricultural subsidy systems that pay per animal or per unit of production incentivize intensity over welfare. Intensive systems with the worst welfare outcomes often receive the most support. Subsidy reform to include welfare performance payments would create economic incentives for welfare improvement at scale. The political economy of subsidy reform is challenging but several European countries have demonstrated that welfare-linked payments are practically achievable.

What You Can Do

Advocate for agricultural subsidy reform that includes animal welfare criteria
Support political parties and candidates committed to subsidy reform
Engage with your elected representatives about including welfare standards in farm payments
Donate to organizations working on agricultural policy reform
Support the EU Farm to Fork strategy provisions linking payments to welfare outcomes