Most laws governing farm animal husbandry, transport and slaughter originate from the EU, although to date these have been shaped by the UK as an EU member. After Brexit, EU treaties and new Directives would no longer apply to the UK, although existing national legislation such as the UK Animal Welfare Act would continue to apply. Brexit offers both opportunities and risks to farm animal welfare, which are summarised in this video. Opportunities include the ability to ban live exports and importation of poor welfare products such as foie gras, and improved product labelling. New farm support payments could be used to encourage public goods such as animal welfare and environmental protection. However, major risks include the threat that new trade deals with important partners such as the US would require the importation of lower welfare products, substantially undermining British standards. The UK would also lose its present role in helping to establish and maintain wider EU animal welfare standards, which to date have been among the world’s strongest.

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