Pig welfare standards vary dramatically across the globe. Understanding these differences helps consumers and advocates identify where change is most needed and most possible.
The global pig welfare landscape is deeply uneven, creating challenges for harmonized improvement and competitive distortions for producers in higher-welfare jurisdictions. Countries with strong welfare regulations face import competition from lower-welfare producers, creating political resistance to further improvement. The corporate commitment pathway — where major food companies set supply chain requirements that apply globally regardless of local regulation — has proven powerful in driving improvement beyond regulatory minimums. California Proposition 12's requirement that pork sold in California meet gestation crate-free standards, even if produced out of state, represents an important model for using market size to leverage welfare improvement across supply chains.