Farm Animals

Farmed Pig Welfare and Global Trade

How international trade affects pig welfare standards and efforts to prevent welfare-based competitive disadvantage.

Key Facts

UK pig producers face competition from imported pork produced to lower welfare standards
Trade agreements can include welfare provisions as market access conditions
WTO rules limit ability to restrict imports on animal welfare grounds
EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement lacks strong welfare equivalence provisions
Global welfare harmonisation would prevent welfare-based competitive disadvantages

Welfare Considerations

Trade in pork produced to lower welfare standards undermines domestic welfare improvements and creates perverse incentives for producers, requiring trade-linked welfare standards.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns for welfare-equivalent import standards
Advocate for trade agreement welfare provisions in UK post-Brexit trade policy
Choose British pork certified under UK welfare assurance schemes