So the animal welfare law could make bacon disappear in California

    So the animal welfare law could make bacon disappear in California

    The new law puts the meat sector in crisis, but the problem concerns the conditions in which the farms have always worked.

    The new law puts the meat sector in crisis, but the problem concerns the conditions in which the farms have always worked





    Il bacon, so loved by Americans, it may disappear from the tables of California. In fact, at the beginning of 2022, in California the new one will come into force animal welfare law approved by an overwhelming majority by voters in 2018. The new legislation requires more space to be able to raise animals and this could put pig farmers in crisis.

    Se producers of calves and chickens are optimistic and think they will be able to meet the new standards, among the farms that raise pigs only 4% to date comply with the new rules. Consequently, unless the courts intervene or the state temporarily allows the sale of non-compliant meat, California will lose 96% of its entire pork supply and pork producers will face higher costs to win back the market.

    The situation is worrying the entire supply chain and there is no shortage of controversy among breeders, processors, restaurateurs. Farmers say they have had little time to adapt facilities and complain that they are unable to inseminate sows and process - i.e. slaughter - pigs by January. Moreover, adapting the facilities would cost around 3 million dollars and each farmer could keep "only" 250 pigs in a space where he can now cram 300.

    Restaurants and shopkeepers, already severely tested by the consequences of the pandemic, fear unsustainable increases in meat prices that would force them to retaliate against consumers or to abandon pork. According to economists, there would certainly be an increase and would be around 15% per animal. For the Consumers, this would result in a 60% bacon rise: the price would rise from $ 6 to $ 9,60 per pack and many fear not being able to afford it, thus putting their breakfast at risk. The fears of all the actors involved in the affair led to several lawsuits, but at the moment all courts rejected the cases, upholding the new law.



    What does not seem to enter into the debate are the conditions under which the pigs have been kept up to now. In a typical pig farm in Iowa, a state that raises about a third of the nation's pigs, sows are kept in cages outdoors a little more than one square meter until the end of the insemination process. After that they are transferred to somewhat larger cages (approx 1,8 square meters). The dimensions of both cages do not respect i minimum requirements of the new legislation, which is approximately 2,2 square meters and which corresponds to the space to allow animals to turn around and lie down.

    The new law will not spare the animals an existence of captivity and suffering and not even premature death, but it would only allow them to move a little more. But not even this can be granted to an animal, relegated to a mere source of income or a tasty and crunchy dish.


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    Sources of reference: NPR

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