Animal Welfare in International Trade: Using Market Power for Reform

International trade policy is increasingly being used as a lever for animal welfare improvement, with major importing markets setting standards that exporting countries must meet to access high-value markets.

Key Facts

The EU Farm to Fork Strategy includes provisions to apply EU welfare standards to imported animal products
Consumer markets in high-income countries can drive welfare improvements in exporting countries through purchasing requirements
Trade agreements that do not include animal welfare provisions can create competitive disadvantages for high-welfare domestic producers
The UK has legislated that future trade deals cannot reduce UK domestic animal welfare standards
Brazil — the world's largest beef exporter — faces increasing pressure from EU importers on deforestation and welfare standards
Corporate supply chain welfare commitments reach farther than domestic regulation by applying standards globally

Welfare Considerations

International trade is a mechanism through which high-welfare consuming countries can leverage their market access to improve welfare standards globally. When European or North American retailers refuse to stock products not meeting specific welfare standards, they create economic incentives for producers in exporting countries to improve practices — often more powerfully than domestic regulation in those countries could achieve. This market leverage is imperfect and faces enforcement challenges, but it represents a significant tool for welfare advocates in wealthy consumer markets to achieve improvements far beyond their domestic borders. Trade policy that maintains rather than undermines welfare standards protects both domestic welfare producers and global welfare outcomes.

What You Can Do

Support trade policy advocacy that maintains high welfare standards in trade agreements
Choose products from retailers with supply chain welfare requirements that apply globally
Advocate for welfare import standards that match domestic production requirements
Support corporate welfare commitments that apply throughout global supply chains
Engage with trade policy debates to ensure animal welfare is included alongside human and environmental standards