There are issues on which pig farmers and animal welfare organisations may never agree. But a day spent inside a commercial piggery showed that disagreement need not mean standing on opposite sides of the fence.
Earlier this year, the NSPCA, the South African Pork Producers Organisation (SAPPO) and CS Vet collaborated on a practical welfare training initiative at Taaibosch Piggery in the North West. The aim was to give NSPCA inspectors firsthand exposure to commercial pig production to complement their theoretical training.
But the day became about more than training. It provided an opportunity for people who can easily find themselves on opposing sides of animal welfare debates to better understand each other.
“There is a lot of ‘us’ and ‘them’ in the industry. But the day confirmed that we are all pulling in the same direction, even if we have different ways of getting to the end goal,” says Dr Thandi Chiappero, head of consumer assurance at SAPPO.
For CP Kriek, owner of Taaibosch Piggery, opening his farm to the NSPCA was daunting.
“But we want to be part of the solution by giving inspectors genuine, firsthand experience of a commercial piggery. If they have greater understanding of what production looks like, there will hopefully be less conflict with farmers.
“Farmers and the NSPCA share a concern for pig welfare, but we need to move closer together to allow room for each other to do our jobs and find a midway. Inherently, we will never agree on certain aspects about what constitutes animal welfare, but we need to be able to work together, not against each other.”
Seeing commercial farming firsthand
Misperceptions about pig production prevail among the general public and welfare groups. Kriek believes that this is since strict biosecurity means commercial piggeries are largely closed to the public.
“People don’t know what an intensive livestock operation looks like. Most people have seen cattle and have some understanding of how they are farmed, but you don’t see a piggery because the animals are housed indoors.”
What people may encounter instead are pigs kept in backyards or small-scale production systems, which Kriek says can shape perceptions of how pigs are farmed more broadly.
“The reality of a commercial piggery is that it is intensive. But we can make the economics work without mistreating our animals. The public needs to get to a point where they realise that not all intensive farms are factory operations with no heart.”
At Taaibosch, inspectors were shown the scale and workings of the operation, including feed use, employment and the farm’s Pork360 welfare standards. Discussions ranged from reproduction and feeding to euthanasia, treatment of sick animals and staff training.
Terminology was particularly important. Kriek explained the differences between insemination, gestation, farrowing and treatment crates, and why each was used.
He was pleasantly surprised by the inspectors’ appreciation for commercial farming.
“They understand that it is a farm that needs to produce meat and generate an income. Many of them grew up on farms, and they are not necessarily against livestock farming or meat consumption. They are against the abuse of animals in farming. That was a crucial point for me. I realised they are not there to fight us. They have a passion and a job to do, just like farmers have.”
Welfare in practice
The visit also provided an opportunity to demonstrate how welfare practices at Taaibosch have evolved.
One of the biggest changes has been the move from gestation crates to group housing, requiring significant investment and changes to management. Sows must learn to feed within a group environment, while workers have to manage body condition, grouping and social interactions differently.
The farm has also replaced ear notching with batch traceability and introduced enrichment such as chains, hay and sawdust. Sows are given material to fulfil nesting behaviour before farrowing.
Staff training has become another major focus. “We have moved towards a more respectful way of handling animals, from management through to workers. You don’t shout and slap to get pigs down the passage. You train staff to use a herding board, and the pigs become accustomed to moving that way,” says Kriek.
Preventative health programmes and vaccination have similarly received greater attention, rather than relying predominantly on treatment once an animal becomes ill.
While some changes have incurred costs, Kriek notes that production overall has benefited.
“Group housing initially presented a steep learning curve, but sows are more active and fitter, with slightly improved farrowing performance. Moving away from ear notching has also reduced pain and distress in piglets so they perform better.”
Where the lines remain
Greater understanding did however not erase fundamental differences. The use of crates remains contentious, particularly in farrowing houses. While welfare concerns centre on the restriction of sows’ movement, Kriek says farmers remain concerned about piglet mortality if crates are removed.
Tail docking presents an even greater divide. “For a farmer, it is necessary to prevent tail biting and cannibalism, which is necessary to uphold good welfare standards. But for the NSPCA, it is seen as maiming. We don’t agree, and there is not enough research to guide either party. We are at a deadlock. We need more information.”
Chiappero says SAPPO similarly considers the risk of tail biting under current production systems too high to move away from docking at this stage.
“Farrowing crates also remain difficult to phase out while piglets are still at risk of being crushed by sows.”
These debates highlight a broader challenge: balancing welfare improvements with the need to produce affordable pork.
Chiappero cautions against simply importing welfare standards from elsewhere.
“We can’t compare ourselves to EU standards and assume that is necessarily the way to go. We still need food security and need to produce affordable protein. If you apply too many rules and regulations, it becomes impossible to farm sustainably.”
South African standards, she says, need to reflect local production realities, including the scale required to operate economically without subsidies.
That does not mean welfare standards will remain static. SAPPO has set 2032 as the deadline for moving away from gestation crates, while its Social Sows initiative promotes greater group housing and social interaction.
Rethinking what productivity means
Kriek believes the next phase of welfare improvement may also require the industry to reconsider its pursuit of ever-higher production.
“When super production starts to impede animal welfare, we have a problem. If you keep pushing the number of piglets born alive and eventually reach 30, but half of them don’t make it, it is an issue. We can’t just keep chasing numbers.”
He says the shift has already begun, with greater attention being paid to the number of viable piglets weaned rather than simply the number born alive.
Technology could increasingly help farmers strike that balance. Kriek sees opportunities to bring monitoring closer to individual animals so that disease can be identified sooner, while housing design could allow pigs to express more natural behaviour without compromising productivity.
This could include farrowing systems that protect piglets while giving sows greater freedom of movement, group fostering, natural light alongside automated ventilation, and environments that provide periods for rest and play.
“If we erect new buildings, we will incorporate future welfare standards. We can’t simply convert older piggeries into modern facilities, but we can design for the future.”
Considering key takeaways from the NSPCA visit, Kriek notes that the industry and NSPCA need to make peace with the fact that they will not agree on everything, and each will keep fighting for what they believe to be the best way forward. “But this must be done in a way that allows everyone to move forward and does not halt farming.”
For Kriek, progress therefore starts with being willing to remain part of the conversation.
“You need to be at the table. It comes down to collaboration and understanding. We are not the same, but we must appreciate each other’s differences.”
