Farm Animal Welfare in Trade Agreements

International trade agreements increasingly include animal welfare provisions, with the potential to either raise global standards or undermine domestic protections through regulatory arbitrage.

Key Facts

The EU-New Zealand trade agreement includes binding provisions on farm animal welfare
Import requirements that match domestic welfare standards are legally contested under WTO rules
Animal welfare chapters in trade agreements vary enormously from aspirational to enforceable
Race-to-the-bottom dynamics occur when high-welfare producers compete with low-welfare imports
Consumer labelling and import equivalency requirements are key tools for trade-welfare alignment
NGO coalitions have successfully influenced trade negotiating mandates in EU and UK processes
The UK's Agriculture Act 2020 includes provisions to consider animal welfare in import standards

Welfare Considerations

Trade policy has the potential to be a powerful lever for global animal welfare improvement - or a mechanism for undermining domestic standards. Ensuring that trade agreements include meaningful, enforceable welfare provisions requires sustained advocacy and public engagement with opaque negotiating processes.

What You Can Do

Respond to public consultations on trade agreements when animal welfare provisions are at stake
Support organisations like Compassion in World Farming that engage in trade policy advocacy
Contact your political representatives about maintaining domestic welfare standards in import rules
Choose imported food products from countries with welfare standards equivalent to or higher than your own
Follow developments in trade policy that affect animal welfare standards