By Angela Beswick
A New Zealand Pork accreditation scheme intended to give consumers peace of mind simply justifies animal suffering, says animal rights group SAFE.
The PigCare Accredited scheme is an independent welfare audit, which allows farms to label their meat as “100 percent New Zealand Pork, PigCare Accredited”. In future, farmers who did not pass the audit will not receive accreditation and will not be able to use NZ Pork labelling.
A total 115 of 123 farms passed the independent audit, which aims to assure consumers “the animals were well cared for”, according to New Zealand Pork chief executive Sam McIvor.
But SAFE spokesman Hans Kriek questions the credibility of the audit.
“The codes of welfare that are currently in existence allow the use of sow stalls, crates and farrowing pans,” he says.
“Suddenly you call this ‘PigCare Accredited’ and pretend it’s okay.”
Mr Kriek claims one of the pig farms which passed the audit was the same farm which caused public outcry when exposed by comedian Mike King last year.
The PigCare accreditation is not a guarantee that sow crates haven’t been used - which is what consumers want to know, he says.
“They don’t want to tell consumers, ‘Yes, this product came from pigs that were kept in sow stalls.' They don’t want to, because then consumers may not want to buy it.”
The industry has committed to phasing out the use of sow stalls. The first step is ensuring, by the end of 2012, sows are kept in stalls for no longer than four weeks of their pregnancy, Mr McIvor says.
But Mr Kriek says that’s not enough.
“What we’re expecting to see is the Government will phase [sow crates] out over a long period of time – maybe between eight and 10 years – which is still completely unacceptable.”
The Animal Justice Fund (AJF) was launched by SAFE yesterday, with Kathmandu founder and philanthropist Jan Cameron pledging $2 million.
The fund will act as a watchdog for factory pig, chicken and battery hen farms and would also help fund promotional campaigns, says Mr Kriek.
Rewards of up to $30,000 would be offered to farm workers or insiders and other industry insiders who exposed animal cruelty that led to a successful prosecution or a significant animal welfare outcome.
Ms Cameron has pledged further funding if no significant change is made, Mr Kriek says.
“She is willing to put in – in her own words – ‘as much as it needs’.”
3 News