Collaboration between pig welfare researchers, producers, veterinarians, welfare organisations, and retailers is creating more coordinated and effective welfare improvement than individual actor efforts.
Key Facts
The UK's Pig Hub and similar European networks bring together diverse stakeholders on welfare improvement
Pre-competitive collaboration between competing retailers on welfare standards reduces confusion and costs for producers
Academic-practitioner partnerships translate research into farm-applicable interventions more effectively than pure research
Vet engagement with farm advisory visits demonstrably improves welfare outcomes beyond inspection visits
Shared data infrastructure between stakeholders enables system-level welfare improvement impossible for individual actors
Welfare Considerations
Effective pig welfare improvement requires coordinating the actions of many different actors who individually lack sufficient leverage for systemic change. Pre-competitive retailer collaboration on welfare standards removes the market disadvantage fear that slows individual corporate welfare investment. Academic-practitioner partnerships ensure research addresses real farm problems and results are communicated in actionable formats. Sector collaboration multiplies the impact of individual investment in welfare improvement.
What You Can Do
Support organisations facilitating multi-stakeholder pig welfare improvement collaboration
Advocate for pre-competitive industry collaboration on welfare baseline standards
Learn about the importance of sector-level coordination for systemic welfare improvement
Engage with sector collaboration initiatives as a consumer, producer, or professional