In December, Animal Policy International brought MPs together in Parliament to build support for legislation requiring imported animal products to meet UK animal welfare standards. Hosted by Sam Carling MP, the event discussed the issues around low welfare imports and how this impacts animal welfare and farmers.
The API team spoke to MPs about the risks posed by the UK's expanding network of free trade agreements (FTAs), which can present opportunities for economic growth but without adequate safeguards, also pose substantial risks to British businesses, particularly in animal agriculture where the UK has established some higher animal welfare standards.
Although the government has made a welcome commitment to "Protecting farmers from being undercut by low welfare and low standards in trade deals," this pledge requires concrete legislative action in the form of UK-equivalent animal welfare standards for imports to prevent market distortion and unfair conditions for domestic producers. The event was well-attended, with MPs from across the political spectrum showing particular interest in API's constituency-specific briefings on the farmer impacts.
As API Senior Policy Manager Tashi Thomas explained,
"there's a clear disconnect between our laws and imports. Animals overseas are being kept in conditions that British people have already clearly rejected. Allowing imports from those same conditions, undermines our standards and creates an unfair market for British farmers. By extending our welfare standards to imports, we can close this loophole."
Key facts on low-welfare imports
A significant share of animal product imports are produced using methods that would be illegal in the UK, like battery eggs and pork from confined sows.
British farmers are being forced to compete with cruel factory farming practices the UK banned years ago.
84% of people support putting restrictions or bans on lower-welfare imports that do not meet UK production standards
Import restrictions are compatible with World Trade Organisation rules under GATT Article XX.
This urgent need for such legislation is demonstrated by the previous government's impact assessments of existing FTAs, which show the Australia agreement will reduce Gross Value Added (GVA) in UK agriculture by 0.7% (£94 million) and semi-processed foods by 2.65% (£225 million), while the New Zealand agreement will cause additional GVA reductions of 0.35% (£48 million) and 1.16% (£97 million) respectively in these sectors. These concerning figures represent the initial impact of just two agreements, while the UK continues to negotiate with multiple trading partners operating to significantly lower welfare standards, threatening to compound these economic pressures on domestic producers.
With Labour's pre-election commitments to ban cruel imports like foie gras, now is the time for comprehensive legislation ensuring all animal products sold in Britain - whether domestic or imported - meet UK welfare standards.. This includes closing loopholes that currently allow imports from fur farming, battery cages for hens, sow stalls, and live lamb cutting.
The government must ensure all animal products sold in the UK - whether produced domestically or imported - meet British animal welfare standards. This requires unilateral legislation making market access conditional on meeting UK standards or proven equivalent regulations.