Morning, Monday, 7th July 2025
Online
This conference will discuss next steps for animal health, welfare and standards in the UK.
It will be an opportunity for stakeholders and policymakers to assess the impact of the new deal following the UK-EU Summit on addressing challenges in animal health and welfare post-Brexit. Areas for discussion include accessibility to veterinary medicines, border controls and aligning standards going forward, and plans to establish a Common Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement to streamline trade and health checks.
As the UK agrees new trade deals with India and the US, the agenda looks at priorities for animal welfare standards in the UK, including public trust and transparency, maintaining domestic standards on imported products and how this can be effectively enforced and labelled, as well as options for mitigating additional pressures on UK agriculture. We expect discussion to reflect wider stakeholder concerns about the enforcement of trade standards, and the risk of lower-welfare imports undercutting UK producers.
Delegates will examine next steps for developing disease control to improve animal health and standards on farms, including tackling Bovine TB following the new Eradication Strategy, and as the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee conducts an inquiry into animal and plant health biosecurity.
Areas for discussion include key considerations for disease control development, opportunities for utilising innovation, as well as strategic options to support animal health and welfare on farms. Delegates will also consider the role of supporting animal health and welfare as part of wider agriculture policy development, including a new National Food Strategy and 25-year farming roadmap. Stakeholder calls for greater prioritisation of changes to farming systems, particularly in addressing concerns around fast-growing poultry breeds, overcrowding, and animal welfare concerns linked to intensive production systems, are also expected to be discussed.
Sessions in the agenda will consider priorities for UK surveillance and workforce going forward, as well as the future role and remit of the Animal and Plant Health Agency following the Government announcing £200m investment to increase UK capacity for detecting and responding to outbreaks. We also expect discussion on calls for a dedicated agreement to ensure continuity of supply of veterinary medicines, particularly in Northern Ireland.
Further sessions will consider priorities for the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway to deliver enhanced standards on UK farms and across livestock sectors, and strategies to encourage sector-wide adoption, alongside alignment of regulatory standards and regulatory compliance - as well as funding arrangements and take-up of welfare schemes.
Delegates will also examine potential options to improve consumer confidence, including key considerations for mandatory animal welfare labelling, and strategic priorities to improve public information, transparency and traceability. Discussion is expected to consider calls for mandatory method-of-production labelling as a way to address perceived gaps in consumer transparency and public engagement.
Additional areas for discussion include:
- tackling infection, biosecurity risks and disease control on farms:
- scaling up health reviews and vaccination programmes for disease control - strategies to improve awareness and uptake - priorities to support innovation
- options for long-term strategic planning to address biosecurity risks and concerns from the agri-food sector - encouraging data sharing and shared decision-making
- utilising innovation and technology, such as data and AI to monitor and tackle risks to the food supply chain
- evaluating priorities for trade and protecting welfare standards:
- latest thinking on developing a Common Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement with the EU
- addressing border control challenges, including calls for closer integration with EU certification systems to ease trade bureaucracy
- priorities for veterinary agreements, including considerations for tackling delivery barriers and improving the wider agri-food system
- incorporating stakeholder calls for a dedicated veterinary medicines agreement
- consumer confidence and transparency:
- assessing options for mandatory animal welfare labelling, including how labels will appear on packaging
- assessing added costs and complexities, with reference to stakeholder support for mandatory systems
- best practice for improving transparency and traceability - priorities to ensure accountability throughout the supply chain
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those due to attend include officials from Defra; DAERA, NI; DESNZ; DBT; APHA; FSA; FSS; NAO; the Welsh Government; and The Scottish Government.
