Handing animal welfare to the farming industry is a big backward step | Philip Lymbery

If Liz Truss's plans for deregulation come to pass, the part of the industry that regards animals as products will determine how they're treated

The UK government will tell you that we have some of the best animal welfare standards in the world. We are hailed as a nation of animal lovers, and in common consciousness a typical British farm would involve lush green pastures and animals happily grazing the day away.

The long-held notion that the UK is a world leader for animal welfare carries some truth. The achievements that have been made over the years since the dawn of large-scale, industrial farming have been monumental when it comes to the welfare of farm animals. The banning of the veal crate in 1990, for example, meant that calves were no longer confined into such a tight space they couldn't turn around, were often tied by the neck, and fed low-quality feed which made their flesh turn white. This was one of the first of a string of victories in the ongoing fight against farming systems which are cruel to animals.