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The gestation stall debate — Canadian style
Story Date: 5/1/2013
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Source: Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE, 4/30/13
Leave it to the Canadians to take a hot-button issue like gestation stalls for hogs and address it in the politest terms possible.
The Retail Council of Canada, representing that country’s largest supermarket chains, including Costco Canada and Walmart Canada, has announced that that country’s eight largest supermarket chains will begin working with suppliers to source pork only from sows “raised in alternative housing practices” by the end of 2022.
But the RCC notes that the definition of “alternative housing practices” is yet to be determined, as the Canadian Pork Council’s Pig Codes of Practice are under review, and so the retailers say they “support the Canadian Pork Council’s process to update its Codes of Practice.”
Official statement
The retailers’ official statement of position notes that its members “[believe] that sows should be housed in an environment where their pregnancy, health and well-being are taken into highest consideration; and that the selection of sow housing be based on a combination of sound science, stakeholder expectations and the long term viability of the industry.”
In response, the Canadian Pork Council posted a release on its website, saying that its members "[understand] that stakeholder expectations are changing” and that the RCC’s announcement is "an opportunity for productive dialogue between farmers and retailers.”
And, the CPC says, “The RCC announcement recognizes that the conversion of sow housing is a significant investment which will require support from other stakeholder groups. Not only will substantial capital investments be needed to physically change barns but also considerable human resource efforts to choose the right system and train stockpeople to a new way of handing animals.
“The CPC looks forward to meeting with RCC to hear its proposals on how changes to sow housing can be managed and how the value chain and others can share in the investment.”
Indirect pressure
While the Canadian press release exchange lacks the … um, directness of similar announcements that have been so frequent in the last year or so, the issue can’t help but be front-and-center for the pork producers: The eight retailers signed on to the RCC’s announcement are Co-op Atlantic, Canada Safeway, Costco Wholesale Canada, Federated Co-operatives Ltd., Loblaw Companies Ltd., Metro Inc., Sobeys Inc. and Walmart Canada Corp.
Besides, Canada’s No. 2 pork producer already has pledged to take gestation stalls out of its system.
The Canadians’ carefully worded announcements were good enough for the Humane Society of the U.S. and Humane Society International/Canada, who said in their own release that they “applauded the landmark announcement.”
For more stories, go to http://www.meatingplace.com/.
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