Epistemic struggles in legislating animal welfare in Finland: competing constructions of the public interest

Abstract This article examines how the interests of farm animals were constructed as being part of the public interest in the drafting of Finland's new Animal Welfare Act (693/2023). While the public interest typically refers to the well‐being of the entire political community, traditionally centred around human concerns, animal welfare legislation suggests that animal interests may also be included in some way. In this study, we analysed stakeholder statements submitted during the legislative consultation process, using the framework of epistemic governance. Four distinctive discourses were identified: economy and competitiveness, oppression, legality, and research‐based decision making. Each discourse presents a different conception of the social world and the place of animals within the political community. These discourses reveal how farm animal interests are represented within legislative debates and how they align with differing notions of the public interest.