Livestock health and welfare strategy 2025 to 2030

Introduction and scope

The livestock industry is a key element of Scottish agriculture and a major employer in rural areas. The output from livestock, including livestock products, was estimated at £2.6 billion in 2024, out of a total output from farming estimated at just below £4.6 billion. The industry's strengths underpin Scotland's international reputation for high quality livestock. The relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and food production, combined with the unique geography, the nature of Scotland's land capabilities and the loss of biodiversity, have brought livestock production into sharper focus than ever before. Working on improving efficiency is key to addressing these challenges while continuing to produce high quality food.

Since the last strategy, we have set ambitious targets to end our contribution to climate change and have committed to achieve net zero by 2045. Healthier animals produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of meat or litre of milk produced. It is therefore important that as part of the wider approach to reduce emissions from agriculture, we continue to work on tackling livestock disease. Actions to address this were proposed by farmer-led climate change groups.

Our changed relationship with the EU since EU Exit, our largest and closest export market, has had a significant negative impact on the rural economy as a whole including international trade, the food and drink sector and labour resources. The livestock sector has felt this impact along with other parts of the economy.

There are undoubtedly challenges created by EU Exit, in particular the certification and health requirements created by the UK’s departure from the customs union and single market and the UK Government's approach to implementing trade arrangements with Northern Ireland. Significantly, for trade purposes, the UK is now classified as a third country and, at the time of publishing this strategy, negotiations are ongoing to determine a new relationship with the EU. Where there are complex interdependencies and commonality across the UK, we remain committed to continuing to work with the UK Government and the other devolved administrations to protect the high standards of biosecurity, animal health and welfare in our island nation.

It is clear now that we live in an increasingly uncertain world with a changing climate. Trust in the food we eat is essential and confidence in our food security must be built. We have set out our Vision for Agriculture and Good Food Nation Plan with both responsibilities and powers for Scottish Ministers set out in the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 and the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022.

Scotland’s ambitions for a future based on digital technologies and data have also been set out. Our overarching National Performance Framework outcomes and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals provide targets to which progress in animal health and welfare contributes an important role.

The scope of the strategy is the protection and improvement of health and welfare of livestock kept for production of food, wool and other fibres, and for breeding in Scotland. The species covered are mainly, but not exclusively cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens and farmed deer. Other species that are impacted by this strategy are animals kept for hobby or business purposes, for example camelids and honeybees, but not horses.

The health and welfare of fish and other marine species kept for aquaculture, companion animals, wildlife, animals kept in zoos and collections are not included. However, activities noted in the strategy, such as surveillance, disease control measures and trade requirements extend to these species when and where there are interactions, such as disease transmission involving livestock.

We have responsibilities aligned to the budgets that were devolved in 2011, when certain powers and funding were transferred from the UK Government to support decision-making in Scotland. These cover most areas of animal health and welfare as well as food safety, which sits with Food Standards Scotland and is not covered by this strategy. Certain areas of policy are reserved matters for UK Ministers. The main areas being international trade, the veterinary profession and veterinary medicines regulation. We take a close interest in and collaborate on these matters.

The aim of the strategy is:

• to protect and improve animal health and welfare in Scotland

The purpose of the strategy is:

• to enable trade in livestock and livestock products, both within the UK and internationally
• to protect animal health and welfare from emerging and increasing threats such as exotic diseases, the consequences of climate change, changes in land use and livestock farming practices, and the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance
• to improve animal welfare, recognising developing scientific understanding and societal expectations
• to protect public health from infectious diseases originating in livestock and from livestock products that may be contaminated (One Health approach)
• to strengthen the links between animal health and welfare and environmental and biodiversity impacts of food production, ensuring that improvements in one area contribute positively to the other

The strategy will be delivered through:

• working in partnership with the livestock sectors to deliver the most appropriate and effective legislative framework and workable policies
• working closely with regulatory and enforcement bodies to ensure fair, transparent and robust measures to maintain compliance
• collaborating with a range of policymakers across government
• continuing improvement of skills and knowledge in the livestock sectors
• providing support for veterinarians working with livestock
• promoting and facilitating the use of data and technology within the sectors and the regulatory and enforcement bodies
• working with the UK Government and other devolved administrations where there are reserved powers and shared responsibilities or risks, for example relating to international trade

This strategy will contribute to the delivery of the following National Performance Framework outcomes:

• Health – We are healthy and active
• Environment – We value, enjoy, protect and enhance our environment
• Fair Work and Business – We have thriving and innovative businesses, with quality jobs and fair work for everyone

It will contribute to the delivery of the following policies:

• the Vision for Scottish Agriculture
• the Good Food Nation Plan
• the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy

It will support the UK-wide joint action plan to contain and control resistance to antibiotics: Confronting antimicrobial resistance 2024 to 2029

It will contribute to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• Good health and wellbeing (SDG3)
• Decent work and economic growth (SDG8)
• Responsible consumption and production (SDG12)
• Climate action (SDG13)