Brazil's foie gras ban covers imports as well as production from January 2027. What Law 15.475 means for EU import welfare rules and New Zealand.

The European Commission has adopted an EU Livestock Strategy that commits to requiring certain imported animal products to meet the EU's animal welfare standards, while a similar proposal for New Zealand still awaits New Zealand Government action.

Animal Policy International is encouraged by the European Commission's new Livestock Strategy, and in particular its commitment to apply equivalent animal welfare standards to imported products. It is a significant step, but the detail will determine how much it delivers. Here is our read on what it gets right, and what still needs work.

New Zealand has banned some lower welfare practices in farming, such as sow stalls for pigs. Yet products made using those very practices can still be imported and sold here. A simple, targeted policy would close that gap, asking imported food to meet the same welfare standards New Zealand already applies at home.