Why buying 100% NZ pork is important for animal welfare

The New Zealand pig industry is quite small - according to Stats NZ just under 100 farms were engaged in the pig farming industry in 2022. A large portion of pork eaten by New Zealanders is imported from overseas (see the Closing the Welfare Gap report). In 2022, more than 50,000 metric tonnes of pork made their way into New Zealand from more than 20 different countries - an estimated 540,000 pigs!

Unfortunately, these pigs are mostly farmed to lower animal welfare standards than pigs in New Zealand, one of several aspects that makes imported pork cheaper. For example, many countries still use sow stalls to confine sows for mating and during pregnancy, while in New Zealand the use of stalls is currently only permitted during mating for up to seven days.

Buying NZ-grown pork not only supports local producers, but importantly ensures that the pigs have been raised to higher welfare standards than those of many countries we import pork from. In addition, New Zealand farmers will find it difficult to make investments to improve pig welfare with the market being flooded with cheap imported pork products thereby shifting pork production overseas.

SPCA supports a call to require imported animal products to meet (or exceed) New Zealand animal welfare standards. In addition, there is always room for improvement. SPCA will always be pushing for ongoing, incremental improvements in pig welfare. SPCA Certified standards focus on pigs being able to enjoy positive experiences, including space to run and play, having access to material to root in and environmental enrichment to keep their minds stimulated, and being kept in stable social groups throughout their lifetime. This is what the SPCA Certified blue badge signifies – a focus on animals’ mental and physical wellbeing, farming to a higher standard than the New Zealand legal minimum.