Cranswick has revealed that it will invest £40m over the next three years to improve and standardise its farming practices.
According to the UK meat group, the investment comes as part of a six-point plan to raise animal welfare standards across its pig farming operations.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
It follows the completion of an independent, veterinarian-led review of Cranswick’s pig farming practices, which was launched in response to footage from Animal Justice Project which uncovered a “culture of abuse and neglect” at the UK’s largest pig producer.
The report, published in May, found “unacceptable practices” at Cranswick’s Northmoor Farm and revealed a “world of secret abuse” with pigs “hidden away behind concrete walls”.
In response to the footage, the Cranswick board commissioned Dr Andy Butterworth, an independent vet with three decades of experience, to conduct a review and “assess compliance with legal, industry and retailer animal welfare standards”, while also “identifying areas for improvement”.
The review, which involved unannounced visits to twenty separate pig farms over the summer, found that the Cranswick farms visited were compliant with legislation and animal welfare standards, and found “no evidence of poor handling and treatment of pigs on farm”.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataDr Andy Butterworth said he did not find similar “behaviors” during his visits in July, to what was reported at the company’s farms in May.
“However, there is much that can be done to improve welfare standards across Cranswick operations, and across the pig farming industry, as set out in my report and in the forty-four recommendations I have produced,” he said.
“I recognise Cranswick’s acceptance of the findings, and their commitment to work towards adopting the recommendations.”
Those recommendations have helped form Cranswick’s new six-point plan for raising standards within the company and across the wider industry.
The six-point plan includes the standardisation of farming practices and procedures across all Cranswick pig farms and increased use of surveillance systems to ensure good practice for pig welfare.
It also includes improvements in the culture and working practices on farms and increased focus on animal health and welfare outcomes and collaboration with the industry, which will see Red Tractor and Cranswick customers develop improved welfare standards for pigs.
A Cranswick spokesperson said the company prioritises animal welfare.
“As soon as this footage was shared with us in May, the board acted swiftly to understand what had happened and take steps to stop these appalling practices from happening again.
the spokesperson said “many of the changes” were made prior to the report about the abuse, including the use of blunt-force trauma.
“But what this report shows is there is more we can do. As the UK’s leading pork producer, we should go further than simply complying with the law and meeting our own standards. We should be looking to lead the industry and raise standards wherever possible.
“That is why the Board has developed this six-point plan to raise standards across our operations and share our experiences with the wider industry.”
