European pig housing standards have improved significantly in recent decades but major welfare gaps remain globally, with weaker standards in major producing countries.
Pigs in countries with weak housing standards continue to experience gestation crate confinement, barren environments, and painful procedures without adequate pain relief. The globalised pork market means consumers in countries with higher standards can inadvertently support lower-standard production through processed food supply chains. Welfare reforms that apply only to domestic production while permitting lower-standard imports create unfair competition and allow consumer purchases to support poor welfare globally.