THE ENFORCEMENT
PROBLEM
UNMASKING THE REALITY ON BRITISH FARMS
In the eyes of many, the UK proudly wears the badge of being a nation of animal lovers, championing some of the world's highest animal protection standards. However, our data on The Enforcement Problem reveals the harsh truth for so many farmed animals in the UK. You can read the full report here
Prosecutions were commenced in fewer than 1% of cases against the total number of complaints and non-compliance found during inspections for both 2022 and 2023.
Our data shows a ratio of one local authority inspector for every 882 farms in 2022 and 874 farms in 2023.
THE ENFORCEMENT PROBLEM UNVEILED
What is The Enforcement Problem?
The United Kingdom is often said to have some of the best animal welfare laws in the world, sadly, these statements fail to consider the daily reality for the majority of farmed animals in the UK.
In 2022, in partnership with Animal Equality, we published The Enforcement Problem. Our report revealed widespread and systemic under-enforcement of the legal frameworks intended to offer protection for farmed animals between the years of 2018 to 2021. You can read that report here.
The Animal Law Foundation has now updated the data for 2022 and 2023 and sadly found no significant improvements. The system continues to fail animals.
Key takeaways from 2022 and 2023
2.5% of farms were inspected
Approximately 22% of inspections on farms identified non-compliance
On average, fewer than 1% of cases of non-compliance revealed during inspections across all farmed animal premises, including slaughterhouses, were prosecuted in 2022-2023
It is critical that the laws passed by Parliament to protect animals mean something in practice. Without enforcement, the law is a mere piece of paper.
A Call for Accountability
There are several bodies that enforce animal law creating confusion and diffusion of responsibility.
Who is responsible for enforcement?
The regulatory framework for animal welfare is fragmented, with monitoring and enforcement responsibility split between various public bodies. Animal welfare is also a devolved matter, so each country in the UK will have different regulators and enforcement bodies. The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) have overall responsibility for farmed animal welfare law and policy in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, respectively. In practice, with the exception of DAERA, they delegate day to day enforcement of the law to local authorities and executive agencies.
To find out more about the Enforcement Problem, you can find the full report here.
TAKE ACTION NOW
You can engage with your local Member of Parliament, urging them to commit to ensure the better enforcement of the laws that are in place to protect farmed animals. You can download the letter that you can either post or email to your MP.