Red Tractor has announced plans for a new tiered approach to animal welfare standards and labelling in the pig sector, which could pitch it against the likes of RSPCA Assured.
The farm assurance scheme has kicked off a consultation on proposals to introduce voluntary Enhanced Welfare and Free Range labels for UK pigmeat.
Red Tractor said the Enhanced Welfare tier would cover pork from outdoor-bred or outdoor-reared pigs finished indoors, with more space and a solid, bedded lying area. The Free Range tier would cover pork from pigs with continuous outdoor access.
It added the proposals could reduce audit costs and complexity for producers – a key recommendation from the recent Independent Farm Assurance Review – while also “simplifying consumer choice”.
The two proposed labels are positioned above the established core Red Tractor standard for pigs – which would also be adjusted under the proposals to ensure equivalence with other assurance schemes “that will deliver the reduced cost and complexity, and to ensure core standards reflect best practice”.
Red Tractor already offers a voluntary Enhanced Welfare module for chicken – launched in 2020.
It said the expansion of its Enhanced Welfare offering to the pig sector “aims to provide a clear, trusted guide for shoppers, reassuring them that Red Tractor-certified pork meets a range of high standards for welfare and distinguishing those that go beyond Red Tractor’s core standards of animal welfare”.
The farm assurance scheme stressed the proposals were “at the request of industry”, reflecting its pledge – following the abandonment of its controversial Greener Farms Commitment and probes into both Red Tractor and the aforementioned industry-wide Farm Assurance Review – to improve engagement and communication with stakeholders.
“For pig producers, their commitment to animal welfare is at the heart of everything they do,” said Red Tractor pig sector chair Stewart Houston.
“The Red Tractor Pigs Sector Board believes the proposed labelling system would provide a clearer, simpler way for our members to communicate and differentiate their welfare standards. It could also enhance consumers’ ability to make informed purchasing decisions by uniting existing tiers within the pork category under a suite of Red Tractor logos.”
The development of the voluntary standards “also demonstrates Red Tractor’s swift delivery against the Farm Assurance Review”, he added.
“The proposed system could remove the need for producers to juggle multiple assurance schemes, reducing audit burden and associated costs. Processors could also benefit from lower licence fees and simplified packaging by using a unified Red Tractor logo system.
“Red Tractor is committed to engaging with as many pig members, processors, retailers, vets, and other stakeholders as possible to ensure Red Tractor assurance continues to deliver for them,” Houston said. “The Pigs Sector Board will only introduce the changes if there is majority support from the UK pig industry. I encourage everyone to share their views and help shape the future of UK pig farming.”
It comes as the scheme is also considering a new Certified Standards Plus tier, with flexible farrowing as the key criteria – reflecting the “growing momentum” behind a shift towards the reduced confinement of sows compared with conventional farrowing crates.
“The sector is keen for this to be industry-led rather than legislated by government,” Red Tractor said.
The farm assurance scheme had supported the pig industry’s voluntary initiatives before, such as through antibiotic use reporting, and saw an opportunity to do the same on farrowing “by providing clear standards for flexible farrowing and a mechanism to market it to consumers”.
The consultation into the new standards is due to close on 6 June, and is open to all pig producers, industry stakeholders and supply chain customers.
Red Tractor’s proposals come a week after MPs approved new fair buying practice rules for pork supply chains. The Fair Dealing Obligations (Pigs) Regulations, which will legally require binding contracts between buyers and sellers for the first time, cleared its first parliamentary hurdle on 22 April. The legislation is set to be debated by the House of Lords in May.
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