Pork Producers Demand Action on Prop 12

Sep 17, 2025
By Farms.com

Hundreds of pork producers push for legislative change to Prop 12

Over 100 pork producers from 20 U.S. states recently gathered in Washington, D.C., calling for urgent legislative action on California’s Proposition 12. The controversial measure, which imposes stricter animal welfare requirements on pork production, is raising consumer costs, threatening small family farms, and disrupting the national pork supply chain.

During their Capitol Hill visit, producers met with lawmakers to highlight how Prop 12’s regulations are causing price hikes and forcing major changes in production practices. They stressed that without federal intervention, family farms could face devastating consequences, and pork prices would continue to rise, burdening consumers.

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) led the initiative, even rolling out a food truck on Capitol Hill. Branded with the slogan “Breakfast is Essential. So is Fixing Prop 12,” the truck served breakfast to lawmakers, staff, and media, drawing attention to how state-level laws are impacting the accessibility of pork products like bacon and sausage.

“America’s pork producers take pride in providing safe, nutritious, and affordable pork to families across the country,” said NPPC President Duane Stateler, a pork producer from McComb, Ohio. “The patchwork of laws set in motion by California’s Proposition 12 threatens our mission by raising prices for consumers, reducing choices, and putting thousands of family farms at risk. Congress must act now to ensure a patchwork of regulations does not further threaten this industry we have worked so hard to build.”

In addition to meetings, NPPC hosted its annual Baconfest reception, where industry leaders and lawmakers came together to celebrate the contributions of pork producers to American agriculture.

Pork producers are urging Congress to include a fix for Prop 12 in the upcoming Farm Bill 2.0 to restore stability and protect both farmers and consumers.

Photo: Congressional staff and media enjoy breakfast from the Fix Prop. 12 food truck.

Photo Credit: NPPC

Video: Swine Industry Advances: Biodigesters Lower Emissions and Increase Profits

Analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG emissions) in the Canadian swine sector found that CH4 emissions from manure were the largest contributor to the overall emissions, followed by emissions from energy use and crop production.

This innovative project, "Improving Swine Manure-Digestate Management Practices Towards Carbon Neutrality With Net Zero Emission Concepts," from Dr. Rajinikanth Rajagopal, under Swine Cluster 4, seeks to develop strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

While the management of manure can be very demanding and expensive for swine operations, it can also be viewed as an opportunity for GHG mitigation, as manure storage is an emission source built and managed by swine producers. Moreover, the majority of CH4 emissions from manure occur during a short period of time in the summer, which can potentially be mitigated with targeted intervention.

In tandem with understanding baseline emissions, Dr. Rajagopal's work focuses on evaluating emission mitigation options. Manure additives have the potential of reducing manure methane emissions. Additives can be deployed relatively quickly, enabling near-term emission reductions while biodigesters are being built. Furthermore, additives can be a long-term solution at farms where biogas is not feasible (e.g., when it’s too far from a central digester). Similarly, after biodigestion, additives can also be used to further reduce emissions from storage to minimize the carbon intensity of the bioenergy.