14th November 2001
WTO to negotiate on animal welfare in new trade talks
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) today, November 14th, welcomed the Doha WTO Agreement on Trade as a step forward for farm animal welfare.
The agreed agricultural text, which will feed into a new ’round’ of international trade talks, gives the green light to negotiators to discuss ‘non-trade concerns’ in agriculture, which includes animal welfare, an issue that the European Union (EU) has consistently raised as being important to its farmers, citizens, legislators and producers. The Doha text also allows discussions of solutions such as mandatory labeling and compensation payments to farmers for the extra costs of higher welfare standards.
The EU has some of the highest farming welfare standards in the world, such as a prohibition on the use of the veal crate, a phase out of the battery cage and sows stalls for pregnant pigs. However, higher standards increase the costs of production. A recent RSPCA report on the egg trade, Hard boiled reality showed that these costs would enable farmers still using intensive farming methods in other countries to undercut European farmers unless solutions are found.
David Bowles, Head of RSPCA International, said “The decision is a good one for animal welfare, farmers and consumers at a time when safer, healthier food produced to humane standards is being demanded by the public. It should be possible to improve farm animal welfare without becoming uncompetitive in the global market. The Doha text is a recognition that important concerns such as animal welfare, rural development and the environment should be respected when considering future trade liberalisation.”
The fact that negotiators will also discuss how to phase-out export subsidies is also to be welcomed. Export subsidies can promote animal cruelty, either directly by encouraging live transportation of animals from Europe, or indirectly by encouraging over-production. Earlier this month, the European Parliament voted to stop export subsidies for the transport of live animals and Germany proposed a similar measure.