The UK's Imports
A “nation of animal lovers”, the United Kingdom was the first state worldwide to pass legislation to protect animals in 1822. It takes pride in having some higher farmed animal welfare standards compared to some other countries, with bans on practices like sow stalls for pigs and barren battery cages for hens. However, many animal products sold in the UK are produced in ways that would be illegal domestically. This undermines the effectiveness of UK laws, the UK’s commitment to animal welfare, and creates an uneven playing field that privileges overseas producers over British farmers.
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Sow stalls: The majority of pork currently imported into the UK comes from countries like Denmark, Spain, and Poland that allow the use of sow stalls, in which mother pigs are confined to narrow cages where they cannot perform basic behaviours, such as turn around or build nests. The UK banned the use of sow stalls in 1999.
Sow in a sow stall in Poland (2022)
© Farm Transparency Project: human.cruelties
Battery cages: Even though currently most of the UK’s egg imports come from countries that have banned the use of battery cages, future trade agreements with countries like India and Mexico may result in imports of eggs that have been produced using cages where there is less space than an A4 sheet of paper per bird leaving them unable to perform natural behaviour such as dust bathing and nesting. The UK banned the use of battery cages in 2012.
Egg-laying hens in an overcrowded battery cage in India (2023)
© Shatabdi Chakrabarti / FIAPO / We Animals Media
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Foie gras: Producing foie gras in the UK by means of force-feeding has been effectively banned since 2007. Nevertheless, the importation of foie gras has continued, with an estimated 628 tonnes imported from the EU in 2023, a precipitous rise from just 28 tonnes in 2021.
Force feeding a duck for foie gras in Spain (2011)
© Luis Tato: We Animals Media
Fur: Despite the UK's ban on fur farming in 2000, the UK still remains in effect a major player on the international fur market by allowing importation of those products. This loophole in the law runs contrary to the spirit of the ban and the will of the UK public.
Source of import statistics: International Trade Centre (2023)
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Fur farm in Poland (2021)
© Farm Transparency Project: human.cruelties.
Solution: Extending the UK's animal welfare standards to imports
The UK can apply import or sales restrictions on animal products that do not meet animal welfare standards applied to domestic production. Both can be justified by public morals exemption provided for in GATT Article XX.
Public support is high
A 2022 survey indicated that a significant proportion strongly supports the UK banning imports of animal products, such as fur, where farming and production methods are banned in the UK. The survey found that 80% of Conservative voters, 79% of Labour supporters, and 88% of Liberal Democrats are in favour of this measure.
Percentage of party supporters in the 2019 election who support (strongly) the UK banning imports of animal products, such as fur, where farming and production methods are banned in the UK
Impact of trade agreements
Concerns have increased around low-welfare imports as the UK negotiates trade deals in the post-Brexit era, with citizens, farmers and animal welfare groups vocally calling for UK standards to also apply to imports.
The UK is currently negotiating a number of free trade agreements that could increase the risk of lower welfare imports, such as with India, Mexico and Canada. They could result in tariff reductions on eggs, chicken and pork which would allow imports from a range of inhumane farming systems that are banned in the UK.
Moreover, all of the already agreed trade deals involve tariff reductions over a period of at least 10 years, so the actual impact on our animal standards may not be seen for some time.
Extending the UK’s welfare standards to imports would consistently meet the expectations of the British public, ensure consumption does not support inhumane overseas production, provide a level playing field for UK farmers, and present an opportunity to strengthen the UK’s leadership on farmed animal welfare at home and abroad.