Stop Cruel Imports

If it's too cruel to produce in Britain,

then it’s too cruel to import into Britain

Let’s close the loophole and protect our animal welfare standards, UK farmers, and prevent the outsourcing of cruelty

Products from farming practices we've banned in Britain are still finding their way onto supermarket shelves through imports.

Low-welfare imports from factory farms overseas threaten to undermine decades of progress in UK animal welfare. While we've banned cruel practices like battery cages, sow stalls, and live lamb cutting (mulesing) at home, these same products continue flooding our shelves from countries with lower standards – undercutting British farmers and fuelling cruel practices overseas that would be illegal within our borders.

Overview of UK's animal products imports (2023)

Many imported animal products come from countries with lower welfare standards

Live lamb cutting (mulesing)

Live lamb cutting entails removing parts of the skin from live sheep without anaesthetic, causing severe immediate and long-term pain to lambs. In the UK performing mulesing can result in a criminal conviction.

Trade statistics are based on International Trade Centre 2023 data.

Stop Cruel Imports because it's

Fair for people

British citizens overwhelmingly reject cruel farming practices – that's why we banned them. Yet many people unknowingly buy imported products from the very systems we outlawed.

The public's concern crosses party lines. Conservative voters (80%), Labour supporters (79%), and Liberal Democrats (88%) all strongly support banning imports from farming systems that use cruel practices banned in the UK.

People deserve transparency and the ability to trust that all food sold in the UK meets British welfare standards.

Stop Cruel Imports because it's

Fair for farmers

British farmers are being forced to compete with cruel factory farming practices we banned years ago. While the UK leads the world in animal welfare standards, trade deals are opening the floodgates to products from systems deemed too inhumane for British farms.

It doesn't make sense to ban British farmers from using certain practices while, at the same time, throwing the doors open to the import of the same cruel products. In 2023 alone, over 640,000 tonnes of pork came from countries allowing sow stalls – a practice we banned in 1999.

Stop Cruel Imports because it's

Fair for animals

The UK has led the way in banning some of the cruelest practices. We stopped sow stalls for pigs in 1999, live lamb cutting in 2010, and battery cages for hens in 2012.

Yet by continuing to import products from these systems, this creates a dangerous double standard where animal cruelty is simply outsourced overseas. Animals don't suffer less just because they're born in another country.

84% of UK consumers support putting restrictions or bans on lower-welfare imports that do not meet UK production standards

Help to stop cruel imports

The Solution is Simple

The UK government must introduce legislation requiring all imported animal products to meet British welfare standards.

Extending British welfare standards to imports would meet the expectations of the public, ensure consumption does not fuel inhumane overseas production, provide a level playing field for British farmers, and present an opportunity to strengthen the UK's leadership on farmed animal welfare at home and abroad.