Brazil-based meat and poultry company BRF has entered a partnership with animal welfare organization World Animal Protection (WAP) to phase out the use of gestation stalls for its sows.
According to WAP, BRF has committed to phase out the use of stalls in favor of group housing over a twelve-year period. Once the transition is completed, the Brazilian company is expected to improve its global positioning as its pig production operations would be in line with European Union animal welfare standards.
The partnership between the company and the organization was announced at a recent roundtable event hosted by WAP with the intent of discussing animal welfare in the pig production industry in Brazil. The discussion brought together animal welfare experts, the Brazilian Ministry for Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) and the University of São Paulo.
“We will be working together with BRF to provide technical support and monitor this progressive change,” WAP stated.
BRF ranks tenth worldwide among pork processors with 10 million head slaughtered annually. The company also ranks third in the world among pig producers, with 380,000 sows, according to the WATT Global Media Top Companies Database. The company is also a leading global poultry producer and processor.
