Meeting global demand without compromising on welfare
British agriculture is at a pivotal moment. With fresh trade agreements taking shape, new opportunities are emerging, both to export higher-welfare products and stem the flow of lower-welfare imports.
But if farmers choose to scale up to meet new global demand, they should also be mindful of our shared responsibility to farmed animals and be careful not to scale down their values. We must all ensure that we maintain our commitment to higher standards of farmed animal welfare and show leadership in this area.
Higher welfare in the face of high demand
As international markets evolve, British producers face new responsibilities as well as new routes to market. Around the world, the vast majority of people currently consume animal products, whether that's meat, fish, eggs or dairy - in the UK alone, 94% of the population includes these foods in their diets*.
With a strong reputation for higher welfare standards, the UK’s farming sector is well-positioned to engage with new markets responsibly and forge a path for a more compassionate global food system. Recent trade deals, such as the removal of India’s 33% tariff on British salmon and a landmark £19 million pork export deal with Mexico, highlight the potential for growth. Salmon is already the UK’s number one food export, and with more than 90% of salmon produced under the RSPCA Assured scheme, and a huge growing market in India, this trade deal alone shows the massive potential for British producers to promote higher welfare standards abroad.
However, free trade agreements also have the potential to put our higher-welfare farmers at risk. Around 85% of farmed animals worldwide are reared in lower-welfare conditions. Without vigilance, UK producers could risk contributing to practices that prioritise volume over values, such as hens in cages. We must ensure that British farming is not part of a race to the bottom, but a model for responsible, compassionate production.
Higher-welfare farming - such as RSPCA Assured, organic and free-range - is essential to ensure animals live free from unnecessary stress and suffering. It goes beyond minimum legal standards, provides enriched environments, space to move, access to veterinary care, freedom to express natural behaviours and more. As public understanding of animal sentience continues to grow, so too does our responsibility to uphold and champion these standards.
A two-way street: Imports must also respect UK standards
Whilst we are urging UK producers to continue raising the bar for farmed animal welfare, we also want to urge those importing - and permitting imports - to the UK, to take note of the higher welfare standards many of our producers are working hard to uphold.
We’ve seen from certain free trade agreements the UK has made that imports of lower-welfare eggs, pork and chicken could enter the country, and we are already starting to see Ukrainian battery eggs, a system illegal in the UK, appearing in some places. As a farm animal welfare organisation, this raises growing concern, not just for the welfare of animals, but for the impact these imports have on British farmers.
Currently, there are no legal requirements, other than how animals are killed, for imported animal products to meet the UK’s higher welfare standards, which means that they can be produced more cheaply under conditions that would not be permitted here, for example, eggs from the conventional battery cage or pigs kept in sow stalls. Negotiating away any safeguards in free trade talks or buying those products once tariffs are reduced poses a huge risk to the livelihoods of British farmers who have committed to doing things the right way and cannot compete with cheap, lower-welfare imports.
While there are new international opportunities for higher welfare British products, if we’re to support the long-term success of British agriculture, we must ensure that imports meet the same high standards we ask of our producers.
Fairness across the whole marketplace helps to protect farmers and ensure that those committed to higher welfare, wherever they are, are not disadvantaged for making better choices for animal welfare.
Good welfare is good business
Maintaining strong welfare standards isn’t just ethically right, it’s commercially smart. As markets expand, so will consumer awareness and demand for responsibly produced food. Around the world, people are increasingly conscious of how their food is made, and that awareness will only grow as more products reach new audiences. For example, the UK public has shown resounding support for a mandatory method of production labelling, with 99% of people in favour of clearer welfare labelling and greater transparency on both imported and exported animal products. As such, now is not the time to let welfare slip; it is the time to show leadership and double down on good practice.
Globally, today’s consumers are more informed than ever; transparency, provenance, and compassionate practices are becoming key purchasing drivers. According to a recent RSPCA Assured survey**, 85% of people said it’s important to them that farmed animals are cared for to higher welfare standards, and 61% said they would go to a different shop if they couldn’t find cage-free eggs***.
In addition to meeting growing global demand, exporting higher-welfare products can help reduce waste. British abattoirs often export parts of the animal that are less commonly consumed in the UK, such as snouts and trotters, to markets where they are valued.
This approach supports full carcass utilisation and ensures that more of the animal is used responsibly. When these exports are underpinned by strong welfare standards, they demonstrate that ethical production and efficient use of resources can go hand in hand.
By aligning commercial strategies with rigorous higher welfare standards, British producers will not only stand out in the market, protect their reputation and build consumer trust - they will also help shape a more compassionate global food system.
A model for success
RSPCA Assured is the UK’s only farm assurance scheme focused solely on animal welfare, and we already cover more than 90% of Scottish salmon, about 50% of egg production and 24% of British pork, showing that higher-welfare farming at scale is both practical and achievable. We encourage farmers exploring new markets to talk to us about how growth and good welfare can go hand in hand.
British farmers are already leading the way in higher welfare, and we are proud to support them every step of the way. Any current or potential RSPCA Assured members who want advice on meeting or maintaining the RSPCA welfare standards, whilst exploring new markets, can reach out to the RSPCA Assured farming and technical engagement team, who are happy to offer advice and support.
*RSPCA Assured commissioned survey conducted by YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2058 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken in May 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
**RSPCA Assured commissioned survey conducted by YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2139 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken in 16-17 July 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
***RSPCA Assured commissioned survey conducted by YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2068 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 3rd - 5th January 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
About the author
Kelly Grellier
RSPCA Assured - Chief Commercial Officer