What we do
Research
We produce legal analysis, supply chain studies, and evidence-based policy research on how animal products move across borders.
Policy and Advocacy
We advise parliamentarians, trade officials and civil servants on aligning import standards with domestic welfare regulation.
Cross-sector partnerships
We bring together NGOs, farmers, industry, trade experts and the public for practical policy reform on trade and imports.
Who we work with
Policymakers and civil servants
We support governments with the research needed to align import standards with domestic welfare regulation.
We brief parliamentarians, civil servants, and trade officials.
Farmers and agricultural industry
We analyse the impacts of lower-welfare imports on local farmers.
Import standards level the playing field and we work with farmers and industry to make the case.
NGOs
We add the trade-policy layer to welfare legislation.
Through our research and policy work we help welfare organisations translate domestic regulation into trade rules.
Higher welfare standards shouldn't stop at the border
When countries ban lower-welfare farming practices, those rules typically apply only to domestic producers. Imported products from countries with weaker standards continue to be sold alongside them. This undermines the policy intent, puts higher-welfare farmers at a competitive disadvantage, and can shift suffering to other countries.
Closing this gap requires a policy framework that brings imports into line with domestic standards - one that works within international trade rules and addresses the concerns of trade officials, industry, welfare organisations and the public alike.
96%
of respondents to an EU consultation agreed that imported food of animal origin should meet the same welfare standards as products produced within the EU.
Commission's public consultation on farmed animal welfare, 2025
79%
of New Zealand farmers agree that imported products should respect the same animal welfare standards as those in New Zealand.
Curia Market Research, 2026
89%
of the public believe the UK should have the power to decide on the welfare standards of animal products sold, including imports.
Bryant Research, 2025
Our approach
Animal Policy International works with NGOs, farmers, industry, trade experts, and policymakers to close the imports gap. We produce the legal analysis, economic research, and policy frameworks that support trade rules consistent with both domestic welfare standards and international trade obligations.
The principle is straightforward: if a country has decided a practice is unacceptable, that same standard should apply to products sold on its shelves.
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