Our latest publication is a White Paper advocating for stronger protection of pigs under EU law through a prohibition of caged farming. “Reforming Pig Welfare in the European Union: The Case for a Cage-Free Future,” by Gabriela Kubíková, Artūrs Kaņepājs, Griffin Carpenter and Marietheres Reinke, presents a compelling argument for a transition to free farrowing in the pig sector, with the aim of informing the Commission’s ongoing modernization of animal welfare legislation.
With an average of 2.3 litters per year, female pigs spend approximately 160 days (or 44% of the year) confined in highly restrictive cages: “sow stalls” (or gestation crates) for the breeding and pregnancy stage, and “farrowing crates” for the birthing and nursing stage. These metal enclosures run closely alongside the body of a gilt (a female pig after puberty and before their first litter) or sow, and are so narrow that the animal is unable to turn around.
The pig farming industry has expressed concerns over the costs associated with a transition to cage-free systems, which may lead the European Commission to abandon any proposal to prohibit sow stalls and farrowing crates. Our White Paper provides evidence-based policy recommendations that account for animal welfare benefits and critically assess industry-provided economic analyses, to provide EU policymakers with the best available economic data, animal welfare science, and legal evaluation.
Chapter 1 examines EU law on the protection of pigs, with a specific focus on caged farming, and Member State legislation prohibiting or restricting the use of sow stalls and farrowing crates. Chapter 2 analyses the animal welfare and worker safety impacts of cage-free systems – sow stalls and farrowing crates – compared with conventional caged housing; and Chapter 3 provides an economic analysis of the associated costs of transitioning to free farrowing, as well as the associated animal welfare benefits, including consumers’ willingness to pay.
The White Paper’s ultimate goal is to achieve a legislative proposal by the European Commission to prohibit the use of cages (sow stalls and farrowing crates) in pig farming, and its subsequent adoption by the co-legislators.
Read the full paper here, or the plain language summary here.
The European Commission’s Vision 2040 for Fisheries and Aquaculture is out, and we’re happy to see a mention of animal welfare. The text says the Commission will “further develop the EU framework for the welfare of farmed aquatic animals across all stages of production, building on existing good husbandry practices, guidance and scientific knowledge.”
1.6 billion cattle, sheep, pigs, and poultry are transported across EU countries and outside the EU every year, making the bloc the biggest live animal exporter in the world. EU legislation on the protection of animals during transport is more than 20 years old – but the European Commission’s proposal for new rules on animal welfare during transport has been stuck with the co-legislators since its publication in December 2023.
Our new White Paper, “Reforming Pig Welfare in the European Union: The Case for a Cage-Free Future,” has been featured on the website of the German Veterinarian Network.
