International trade agreements increasingly include animal welfare provisions, creating both opportunities and risks for global welfare standards.
Trade policy is an underappreciated lever for global animal welfare improvement. When large trading blocs like the EU require equivalent welfare standards for imported animal products, exporting countries face economic incentive to raise their standards. However, this mechanism is imperfect — welfare claims in trade agreements are often aspirational rather than enforceable, and WTO rules limit the ability to exclude products purely on welfare grounds. The most effective approach combines trade requirements with technical assistance to help lower-income countries improve standards without competitive disadvantage.