Canada to ban lifelong confinement of Pigs in inhumane cages

National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) released the draft Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs for public consultation, which would improve animal welfare in pork production by eliminating the perpetual confinement of pigs during pregnancy in gestation crates.

The ban on controversial gestation crates - cages roughly the same size as the animals' bodies designed to prevent them from turning around, was applauded by Humane Society International/Canada as an important progress.

"HSI/Canada welcomes the National Farm Animal Care Council's recognition that the lifelong confinement of pigs in tiny crates must end in Canada's pork industry," said Sayara Thurston, campaigner with Humane Society International/Canada. "While there is still significant room for improvement in the Code of Practice, we look forward to engaging with the public and NFACC throughout the consultation period to address the most concerning issues. These include the continued allowance for some confinement of mother pigs during their pregnancies and a long phase-out period of gestation crates that does not reflect recent decisions by some of Canada's largest pork buyers."

Gestation crates, currently standard in pork production, have come under fire from veterinarians, family farmers, animal welfare advocates, legislators, scientists, consumers and food retailers. A recent national poll in Canada showed that 84% of Canadians support a complete phase-out of the use of these confinement systems.

In April, the Retail Council of Canada and eight of Canada's largest retailers - Walmart Canada, Costco Canada, Safeway Canada, Loblaw, Metro, Federated Co-operatives, Sobeys and Co-op Atlantic - committed to sourcing fresh pork products from alternatives to gestation crates over the next nine years.

Two of the three largest pork producers in Canada - Olymel and Maple Leaf Foods - have already announced that they will shift away from gestation crates within the next four to nine years. Smithfield Foods, the world's largest pork producer, also announced a similar policy within the next four years.

The new Code of Practice will take effect in 2014, at which time the construction of new gestation crate operations throughout Canada would be prohibited. As the Code of Practice currently stands, producers will have to eliminate the lifelong confinement of pigs in gestation crates by instead housing them in groups by 2024.

The new draft of the Code of Practice will be open for consultation for the next 60 days.