Smithfield Foods, Inc. will end use of swine gestation crates at its 187 sow farms by 2017 and require that its contracted farm suppliers end their use by 2027. Present practice is to keep each pregnant sow in a 2x6ft crates during its 16 month gestation period, then move her to a larger farrowing crate to give birth. Smithfield Foods intends to put sows in " 'group housing' " pens holding six to 55 animals. Smithfield--and presumably other industrial pork producers who use similar technologies--has been under pressure from a variety of sources, including PETA and restaurant chain customers, Wal-Mart and McDonald's, who have asked their supplier/producers to and use of the crates. Arizona passed initiative last year for the Humane Treatment of Farm Animals and Florida passed a similar act in 2002. Crates are prohibited in Europe. (Lauren Etter, "Smithfield to Phase Out Crates: Big Pork Producer Yields to activists, Customers on Animal-Welfare Issue," Wall Street Journal, Thursday, January 25, 207, A14.)
Smithfield's decision appears (from the article) unrelated to the organic agriculture movement as a legal matter, but surely it is related ideologically. For the big debate in organic farming is now whether the USDA should amend the organic farming regulations to require farm animals to be pastured. I have seen the issue stated mainly in terms of dairy cows (few California dairy cows are pastured, but lived in feed lots), but obviously pigs would be an appropriate issue.
Recent Comments