Gestation crates confine pregnant sows in spaces so small they cannot turn around. The welfare evidence against them is comprehensive, yet global phase-out progress is uneven.
The gestation crate is perhaps the most comprehensively condemned individual piece of farm equipment in animal agriculture. The welfare evidence against it is unambiguous: sows confined in spaces too small to turn around experience profound frustration, develop stereotypic behaviours indicating chronic suffering, and suffer from muscle wasting and bone weakness from prolonged immobility. The EU's partial ban and ongoing reform pressure, combined with corporate pledges from major pork buyers, has driven significant change in some markets. The challenge is global: countries with large pork production and weak welfare regulation continue to use gestation crates extensively. Consumer pressure on international supply chains remains essential.