Gestation crates prevent sows from turning around for their entire four-month pregnancy. The campaign to eliminate them has achieved significant progress but faces continued industry resistance.
Gestation crates represent one of the most clear-cut welfare abuses in modern agriculture: individual confinement so extreme that basic physical movement is impossible for months at a time. The suffering — frustration, muscle atrophy, chronic stress, inability to engage in any species-typical behavior — is well-documented and undeniable. The campaign to eliminate gestation crates has demonstrated what is possible when consumer pressure, corporate commitments, and legislative action align: significant portions of the global pork industry have transitioned or committed to transition. The ongoing challenge is holding companies to their commitments, ensuring phase-out timelines are met, and extending the campaign to jurisdictions and companies that have not yet made commitments. Group housing is technically and economically viable — it requires management investment but has been demonstrated to work at commercial scale across Europe.