Farmed Animals

Commercial Pig Welfare — Current State and Reform

A comprehensive review of commercial pig welfare reveals significant problems alongside achievable reform pathways.

Key Facts

Around 10 million pigs are slaughtered annually in the UK, most in intensive indoor systems
Gestation crates have been banned in the EU since 2013 but farrowing crates remain legal
Tail docking of piglets is prohibited without justification but practised in 80 percent of EU flocks
Enrichment requirements exist in law but are minimally interpreted and poorly enforced
Higher-welfare commercial pig production is demonstrated as viable in several European countries

Welfare Considerations

Commercial pig welfare in most EU and UK systems falls well below what science identifies as necessary for good welfare. The gap between legal requirements and their enforcement is wide. Achievable reforms including enrichment enforcement, farrowing crate alternatives, and whole-tail production represent a clear path to significantly improved welfare without prohibitive cost.

What You Can Do

Choose pork from certified higher-welfare systems
Support enforcement campaigns that hold the industry to existing legal welfare requirements
Advocate for phased elimination of farrowing crates and sow stalls
Support research into commercially viable high-welfare pig production systems
Reduce pork consumption or switch to certified alternatives