At the request of industry, the Red Tractor Pigs Sector Board is seeking views on proposals to introduce tiered welfare standards and labelling for UK pigmeat. The proposed approach could reduce audit cost and complexity for producers and simplify consumer choice.
Building on the success and recognition of the existing Red Tractor Certified Standards logo, Red Tractor is consulting on a modular approach to welfare standards for the pigs sector – similar to the tiered model introduced for the poultry sector in 2020. The proposed system includes two new voluntary tiers, each with its own dedicated logo:
- Enhanced Welfare – Pork from outdoor-bred or outdoor-reared pigs finished indoors, with more space and a solid, bedded lying area
- Free Range – Pork from pigs with continuous outdoor access
Included in the consultation are some adjustments to the existing standards. These are required to ensure the equivalence with other assurance schemes that will deliver the reduced cost and complexity, and to ensure core standards reflect best practice. While the Pig TAC believes that many outdoor and indoor producers already operate at the proposed standards, the consultation is designed to establish precise views.
Expanding the use of these tiers from poultry to pork aims to provide a clear, trusted guide for shoppers, reassuring them that Red Tractor-certified pork meets a range of high standards for welfare and distinguishing those that go beyond Red Tractor’s core standards of animal welfare.
Stewart Houston, Red Tractor Pigs Chairman said, “For pig producers, their commitment to animal welfare is at the heart of everything they do. The Red Tractor Pigs Sector Board believes the proposed labelling system would provide a clearer, simpler way for our members to communicate and differentiate their welfare standards. It could also enhance consumers’ ability to make informed purchasing decisions by uniting existing tiers within the pork category under a suite of Red Tractor logos.
“The development of the voluntary Enhanced Welfare and Free Range tiers for pork also demonstrates Red Tractor’s swift delivery against the Farm Assurance Review. The proposed system could remove the need for producers to juggle multiple assurance schemes, reducing audit burden and associated costs. Processors could also benefit from lower licence fees and simplified packaging by using a unified Red Tractor logo system.
“Red Tractor is committed to engaging with as many pig members, processors, retailers, vets, and other stakeholders as possible to ensure Red Tractor assurance continues to deliver for them. The Pigs Sector Board will only introduce the changes if there is majority support from the UK pig industry. I encourage everyone to share their views and help shape the future of UK pig farming.”
Flexible farrowing
There is growing momentum within the UK pig sector towards flexible farrowing, with reduced confinement of sows compared to conventional farrowing crates. The sector is keen for this to be industry-led rather than legislated by government.
Red Tractor has supported the pig industry’s voluntary initiatives before, like antibiotic use reporting, and sees an opportunity to do the same here by providing clear standards for flexible farrowing and a mechanism to market it to consumers.
Red Tractor is therefore considering a new “Certified Standards Plus” tier, with flexible farrowing as the key criteria. It is seeking views from the pig sector on whether such a tier would help support an industry-led transition to flexible farrowing, to avoid conflicting retailer requirements and reduce business uncertainty.
Learn more about the proposals and respond to the consultation