The launch of comprehensive trade negotiations between New Zealand and India raises serious concerns about the potential increase in lower-welfare animal products entering the New Zealand market, unless domestic animal welfare standards are applied to imports.
India, the world's third-largest egg producer, still permits farming practices that New Zealand has banned on animal welfare grounds, such as battery cages for hens.
In addition to the harsh routine realities of battery cages, a 2024 Animal Policy International investigation of Indian egg farms documented severe welfare violations, including:
Overcrowded conditions with up to 10 hens crammed into cages typically used for 2-3 birds
Hens with injuries, swollen glands and beaks
Dead birds left lying around the cages
Insufficient and poorly maintained water access points
Battery cages have been banned in New Zealand since 2023 due to animal welfare concerns. However, in 2023, over 60% of liquid egg imports came from countries that still permit this cruel practice. Without proper safeguards, a trade agreement with India could further expand the market for products from farming systems illegal in New Zealand.
Recent polling shows that most New Zealanders are unaware of this imports loophole, with 80% either believing incorrectly that imported animal products must already meet local animal welfare standards or are unsure about requirements. When informed, over 80% agree that imports should meet New Zealand's standards.
International trade rules clearly support New Zealand's right to require imported products to meet domestic animal welfare standards. Import bans and market access requirements are already relatively common in the regulatory practice of some WTO Members. Several measures make market access for certain foreign products conditional on meeting domestic animal welfare requirements. These include for example:
California’s ban on the sale of foie gras if it is produced by force feeding geese or ducks
California’s Proposition 12 (as well as similar laws in other states) pairing a local ban on the production of eggs obtained from hens kept in battery cages with a sales ban applicable to imported products
EU Cosmetics Regulation banning marketing of cosmetics containing ingredients tested on animals
Furthermore, the EU recently announced that it will ensure that future legislative proposals on animal welfare apply the same standards to all products marketed in the EU, including imported products.
These precedents demonstrate that New Zealand can legally extend its animal welfare standards to imports via legislation. Such measures would:
Protect the morals of New Zealanders and ensure consumer expectations are met
Prevent the outsourcing of animal cruelty to countries with weaker protections
Maintain New Zealand's reputation for higher animal welfare standards
Level the playing field on the NZ market
As trade negotiations with India proceed, it is crucial that New Zealand implements comprehensive legislation requiring all imported animal products to meet domestic animal welfare standards.
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