Progress! McDonald's Takes Big Step Toward Improving Pig Welfare

by Pulin Modi · 2012-02-13 23:49:00 UTC
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In a joint press release with The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), fast food giant McDonald's announced that it wants its pork suppliers in the U.S. to phase out the use of sow gestation crates. They've asked all of the suppliers to outline plans for the switch by May.

McDonald's believes that gestation crates are "not a sustainable production system for the future," while HSUS adds that it's "wrong to immobilize animals for their whole lives in crates barely larger than their bodies." This announcement is the most recent success in the growing movement against factory farming, including commitments from Smithfield (a McDonald's supplier) and Hormel agreeing to phase out the crates that confine the smart, sensitive animals in spaces barely larger than their bodies.

This is certainly big news in the food fight waged by so many advocates of animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and food safety. Not only is this progress for groups like The Humane Society of the United States and Mercy For Animals, which work against factory farming, but it's important news for consumers, too.

Last fall, more than 100,000 people signed a petition started on Change.org asking McDonald's to cut ties with Smithfield unless the pork producer recommitted to its promise to phase out gestation crates. Smithfield did exactly that, and the McDonald's announcement followed just two months later.

People just like you come to Change.org every day to start campaigns on issues including animals, sustainable food, and the environment. Today's announcement is the latest proof that when consumers collectively call for changes to happen, companies listen.

Photo credit: A. Sparrow

Pulin Modi

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