Farmed Pig Welfare Food System Resilience

How pig welfare improvements contribute to food system resilience and long-term sustainability.

Key Facts

Intensive pig systems dependent on imported feed and antibiotics are vulnerable to supply chain disruption
Higher welfare systems with outdoor access and reduced inputs may show greater resilience
Diversification of pig genetics reduces vulnerability to disease outbreaks affecting uniform populations
Local and regional supply chains for pork reduce transport welfare costs and logistics fragility
Welfare-aligned systems often have environmental co-benefits including reduced waste and pollution

Welfare Considerations

Pig welfare and food system resilience are more aligned than often recognized. The vulnerabilities of intensive production including disease susceptibility, input dependency, and supply chain fragility are often the same factors that drive poor welfare. Addressing both together is more effective than treating them separately.

What You Can Do

Support local and regional pig farmers producing with higher welfare standards
Advocate for food system resilience policies that consider animal welfare alongside other sustainability metrics
Choose pork from diverse production systems to support supply chain diversification