Veterinary Policy

Veterinary associations play an important role in shaping farmed‑animal welfare and public policy through clinical guidance, professional standards and advice to decision-makers. This research priority examines the positions of national and international veterinary associations across issues affecting animals, people and the planet. Understanding these positions is essential for assessing the influences behind public and policy decisions on animal welfare, and whether those decisions have animals' best interests in mind.

Supported by funding from the LSE Global School of Sustainability and Coefficient Giving, our work in this area is conducted by Research Fellow Dr Steven McCulloch. Current research provides a detailed analysis of veterinary association positions, using farmed pigs as a case study to explore how veterinary professional duties and commitments to animal welfare are upheld in practice. A further case study examines the American Veterinary Medical Association's stance on California's Proposition 12, providing insights into how associations engage with debates surrounding farmed-animal welfare policy.

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