Animal welfare non-profit Compassion in World Farming launches the first PigTrack report, a one-of-a-kind resource for food businesses to track their progress toward eliminating gestation crates for sows in the U.S.

PigTrack serves as a unique tool for companies to track their transition to fully gestation crate-free systems. The U.S. is one of the top pork producers in the world. Approximately 74.3 million pigs are slaughtered each year in the U.S. and produces 27 billion pounds of pork annually, with projections expected to increase every year.

In the U.S., an estimated 6 million sows, or mother pigs, are bred each year to produce litters of market pigs, resulting in hundreds of millions of pounds of pork meat.

Gestation crates are one of the most extreme examples of physical confinement for farm animals today. These crates prohibit a sow’s ability to turn around, fully stretch her legs, or walk. Research shows gestation crates prevent a sow from performing many highly motivated natural behaviors, such as foraging, causing the sows extreme stress and frustration, which can be redirected in abnormal repetitive behaviors, like sham chewing and head weaving, as the sows attempt to cope. The severe restriction on their movement results in many physical health issues for the sows, including reduced bone density, diminished muscle strength, lameness, and painful pressure wounds.

Luckily, the industry is evolving. Legislative actions such as California's Proposition 12 and Massachusetts’s Question 3 ban the sale of pork from farms that use gestation crates. There are nine states that also have a production ban limiting the time of confinement during a sow’s pregnancy, demonstrating the public’s support for more humane treatment of these animals. However, over 50% of U.S. sows are still solely housed in gestation crates during breeding, leaving these animals to experience mental and physical pain.

In response, CIWF developed PigTrack, a tool that promotes transparency and ensures compliance with meaningful improvements to sow welfare. PigTrack provides insights into market trends and corporate practices, highlighting the companies already committed to eliminating gestation and/or farrowing crates and their progress towards building fully crate-free supply chains. PigTrack includes a robust glossary of industry terms, a certification and label claim matrix, a producer and company feature, and 13 leading companies with meaningful sow welfare statements.

The companies featured are:

Applegate

Butcherbox

Campfire Treats

Chipotle

Natural Grocers

North Country Smokehouse

Norwegian Cruise Line

Open Farm

Royal Caribbean Group

The Cheesecake Factory

Thrive Market

Walden Local

Whole Foods Market

In our first U.S. PigTrack report focused on sow welfare, Compassion in World Farming urges all companies to ban crate use in their supply chains and annually report progress toward full implementation of this policies.

"The U.S. pork industry is at a pivotal moment," said Julia Johnson, U.S. Head of Food Business at CIWF. "Many sows are no longer confined to crates, reflecting a growing commitment to compassionate supply chains. Pigs are intelligent and social, capable of experiencing happiness. Our goal is to support businesses on their journey toward a crate-free future, and PigTrack is essential to that mission."

Eliminating gestation crates not only improves animal welfare but also allows companies to build trust with consumers by providing transparency on their practices and reports on their progress. CIWF encourages companies to publicly share their advancements in crate-free pork supply chains, demonstrating their leadership in animal welfare.

Key Features of PigTrack 2024:

Educational Insights: PigTrack educates businesses on U.S. production systems, relevant state laws and market trends.

Corporate Commitments: It showcases companies that have committed to gestation and fully crate-free sow welfare policies and those making significant progress.

Promoting Transparency: PigTrack encourages corporate transparency by pushing for stronger policies and more transparent public reporting on sow welfare improvements.

“Animal welfare has been at the core of Applegate’s mission for over 37 years and we are proud of the impact that we have made over that time. We value our longstanding farm partnerships that uphold high standards for animal production—supporting farmer livelihoods makes all of this possible,” says Carolyn Gahn, Senior Director of Mission and Advocacy for Applegate. “We are honored to be included in Compassion in World Farming’s first PigTrack report.”

“We believe in enabling better lives for our farmers, animals, partners, team, communities, and you and your family,” said Neil Dudley, Vice President of Business Development for Pederson’s Farms. “Honesty, integrity, and good stewardship are our core principles at Pederson’s, and we take pride in passing them onto you.”

As the industry evolves, future PigTrack editions will update company progress and highlight leaders in crate-free pork production in the United States. CIWF is committed to improving farm animal welfare and will continue working with businesses to ensure a transition to humane and sustainable farming practices.

CIWF develops other corporate reports, including the Global EggTrack report for laying hens and the U.S. and EU ChickenTrack reports for broiler chickens.

#