Pork industry sees Prop 12 enforcement hurting pig farmers, consumers and animal health

May 22, 2023

The pork industry says the U.S. Supreme Court’s split decision to uphold California’s Proposition 12 law that regulates space given to breeding pigs and their offspring will create hardships for both pork producers and consumers, as well as possibly having a negative impact on animal health.

Proposition 12 is a voter-enacted law that considers confinement of pigs "cruel" if it prevents a pig from "lying down, standing up, fully extending (its) limbs or turning around freely." California voters approved an initiated measure proposing the law in 2018 with 63% of the vote.

While supporters of the law promoted it as a move to improve animal health, pork producers say that doesn’t hold up. One major issue with the law is that it seeks to stop the use of gestation stalls.

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Video: Season 7, Episode 1: Managing Risk and Seeing Opportunities in U.S. Pork Production

Today’s episode features three guests discussing the similarities and differences between pork production in the United States and Brazil, along with strategies for managing risk in today’s industry while recognizing and acting on opportunities. First, Dr. Anne Caroline de Lara, executive manager of live pig production at Seara Alimentos, a JBS company in Brazil, is joined by Dr. Matthew Turner, head of operations for JBS Live Pork. Together, they discuss how labor, climate and ventilation challenges vary between Brazil and the United States, while underscoring their shared commitment to raising healthy pigs. They also point to lessons producers in both countries can take from one another’s systems and on-farm experiences. Then, Brady Reicks, risk manager at Reicks View Farms, shares his perspective on risk management, drawing from his background in markets and his transition into farming. He discusses how protecting margins varies by operation and offers practical approaches producers can use to make marketing and business decisions with greater confidence rather than hesitation.

Both conversations were recorded at recent industry events focused on swine livability, including the International Conference on Pig Livability and Iowa Swine Day.