Progress! One other Main Meals Firm Will Finish Cages for Pigs

A number one shopper packaged items firm–Conagra–has dedicated to eliminating crates for pregnant pigs in its provide chain. This progress follows strain from Animal Equality in collaboration with two fellow animal safety organizations.

The recently-released policy from Conagra, which provides iconic merchandise like Slim Jim, Reddi Wip, Swiss Miss, Orville Redenbacher’s and Chef Boyardee, states a 100% elimination of crates for pigs in its provide chain by 2026. Conagra’s coverage additionally outlines steps the corporate will take within the three years main as much as its 2026 objective. The corporate goals to supply at the very least 30% of its merchandise from crate-free pigs by the top of 2024, with a 60% elimination by the top of 2025.

Conagra has additionally dedicated to offering common updates on its progress whereas working in direction of its objective. This progress is a step in the fitting path in offering the naked minimal safety for animals contained in the meals system.

The coverage by Conagra will have an effect on 27,613 pigs.

The Excessive Confinement of Pigs

The acute confinement of pregnant pigs is without doubt one of the worst abuses within the meat business. Confined to particular person 7-by-2-foot crates, pigs inside manufacturing unit farms reside most of their days in an area barely larger than their our bodies. Pigs inside these cages undergo mentally and bodily. They can’t flip round, lie comfortably, or exhibit any pure behaviors. Many resort to biting the steel bars of the crates and banging their heads towards them as a result of immense stress.

That is the truth for the 6 million feminine pigs inside U.S. provide chains.

Picture illustration of a gestation crate

Using crates has been deemed so merciless that 10 U.S. states have banned them, in addition to the UK and Sweden. Practically 100 firms have joined the efforts to finish excessive confinement, together with Aramark, Nestlé, Campbell’s, and Kraft Heinz.

Nearly all of Individuals agree that the usage of crates is merciless. In one survey, two-thirds of Individuals (66%) discover crates to be unacceptable, and a robust majority (73%) usually tend to purchase meals merchandise comprised of pigs provided by firms dedicated to phasing them out.

Animal Equality Fights to Defend Mom Pigs

Animal Equality has been working diligently with companies to finish the usage of cages for pregnant pigs. Final yr, Animal Equality launched a marketing campaign towards the world’s largest meals service firm, Compass Group, for failing to comply with by means of with its decade-old dedication to get rid of crates in its provide chain. A couple of months later, Compass released a strong policy that would eliminate cages for mother pigs and hens, and enhance the therapy of chickens.

Animal Equality holds a protest towards Compass Group in Austin, Texas. The demonstration occurred outdoors of Financial institution of America, a robust consumer of Compass.

In December 2022, Delaware North, the fourth-largest meals service supplier within the US, Compass released a new policy that would eliminate cages for mother pigs, finally eradicating gestation crates from its provide chain. This coverage adopted pleasant dialogue and marketing campaign strain by Animal Equality.

You, too, can rise up for mom pigs!

Animal Equality will do no matter it takes to guard farmed animals exploited for meat, dairy and eggs. As we work to finish their exploitation altogether, progresses just like the recently-released coverage by Conagra are a step in the fitting path in direction of a extra compassionate future.

Let the business know you stand behind animals and towards this abuse by signing our Finish Manufacturing unit Farming petition at this time:

The acute confinement of feminine pigs is a routine follow of the meat business, which actively values income over the lives of animals. These practices won’t finish except the consumption of animal merchandise, like meat, dairy and eggs, ends.

You can also make the compassionate alternative at this time to guard pigs, cows, chickens and different farmed animals by decreasing or eliminating animal merchandise out of your meals. This straightforward, but highly effective alternative, is one of the best ways to make sure you aren’t contributing to the pointless struggling of animals. Making the change to plant-based options has by no means been simpler or extra scrumptious!