Supporting the economic transition away from gestation and farrowing crates for pig farmers enables welfare improvement that market forces alone may not achieve quickly enough.
The economic transition from crate to welfare-positive pig farming systems requires support infrastructure that markets alone cannot provide quickly enough to align with the urgency of the welfare case. Farmers who want to make welfare improvements face capital constraints, price uncertainty, and competitive disadvantage if they transition while competitors delay. Policy mechanisms that provide transition financing, market development through institutional procurement, and certification premium support can overcome these structural barriers. Animal welfare advocacy that engages with farm economic realities rather than only consumer choice demonstrates the systemic thinking needed to achieve durable welfare improvement.