TL;DR: New Zealand’s pig farmers demand fair import regulations, highlighting the disparity in animal welfare standards between domestic and imported pork, urging the government to enforce local welfare standards on all pork products sold in the country for equity and sustainability.
New Zealand’s pig farmers are calling out the inequity in pork import regulations, highlighting a critical gap in animal welfare standards. This concern arises amid revelations that not all pork products sold within the country adhere to New Zealand’s animal welfare criteria.
Brent Kleiss, the chief executive of NZ Pork, voiced his discontent following the publication of the “Closing the Welfare Gap” report by Animal Policy International. This document advocates for New Zealand to enforce its animal welfare standards on both domestic and imported agricultural goods.
New Zealand, with a “C” rating on the 2023 Animal Protection Index, has made notable advancements in animal welfare. These include bans on battery cages, sow stalls, and the impending prohibition on farrowing crates. Yet, a significant portion of the animal products retailed in New Zealand comes from nations with lower welfare standards, thus perpetuating a considerable welfare discrepancy.
Kleiss stressed the pride New Zealand’s pig farmers take in their sustainable and ethical production methods. These include high standards of animal welfare, environmental care, and labour practices. However, he acknowledged the economic challenges this approach brings. “It’s costly,” he said. And in today’s economic climate, convincing consumers to choose higher-priced, ethically produced pork over cheaper imports is increasingly challenging.
In 2023, over 40,000 metric tonnes of pork, constituting two-thirds of the nation’s consumption, were imported from 22 countries. None of these imports are required to meet New Zealand’s pig welfare standards, a situation Kleiss finds unacceptable.
For instance, while New Zealand bans gestation stalls, in countries like Canada and most of Europe, such practices are permitted for varying periods. Moreover, practices like piglet castration, often performed without pain relief in countries like Spain, Poland, and the United States, are not practised in New Zealand.
Farrowing systems usage also starkly contrasts with New Zealand’s regulations. In New Zealand, sows are confined in these systems only around birthing, significantly less than in most EU countries and the US, where no limitations exist on the confinement duration.
The call is clear from Kleiss and New Zealand’s pig farming community: imports must adhere to the same rigorous standards imposed on local farmers. This demand seeks to level the playing field, urging the new Government to affirm its commitment to animal welfare and support for local agriculture by standardising pork import regulations.
