Global trade in live animals, animal products, and food commodities has profound animal welfare implications. Understanding these connections helps advocates address welfare at the systems level.
Global trade is one of the most significant and least visible drivers of animal welfare outcomes worldwide. Trade that moves animal production to lower-cost, lower-regulation jurisdictions can undermine domestic welfare improvements by replacing local production with imports that do not meet equivalent standards. Conversely, trade can spread higher welfare practices through certification requirements, brand standards, and consumer market pressures. The most effective trade-related welfare interventions are those that establish welfare as a market requirement rather than an optional attribute: EU import equivalence requirements, retailer sourcing standards, and certification schemes that extend across supply chains create welfare incentives that cross national borders. Building international welfare governance frameworks is a long-term project that requires sustained advocacy across diplomatic, trade, and regulatory arenas.