Smithfield Foods and Maple Leaf Foods Are Phasing Out Cruel Gestation Crates

In gestation crates, mother pigs are unable to turn around.

On January 25, 2007, Smithfield Foods, the largest pig flesh-producing company in the world, announced that it would phase out all gestation crates in its U.S. operations within 10 years. Currently, at any given minute, more than 1 million mother pigs are confined by Smithfield to gestation crates. Just a few days later, Maple Leaf Foods, the largest pig flesh-producing company in Canada, announced that it would follow suit. These decisions will significantly reduce the suffering of millions of pigs and will send shock waves through the entire pig-flesh industry.

Of all the cruel abuses of animals on factory farms, one of the most hideous is the gestation crate. Mother pigs are confined for their entire lives to cages made of metal bars and cement floors. These crates are so small that the pigs cannot turn around or take more than one step forward or backward. Pigs are intelligent, friendly, social animals; mother pigs in gestation crates often go insane from the complete isolation and boredom, with only metal bars in front of them to stare at. They also suffer as their bones and muscles painfully waste away from lack of use.

Smithfield credits its major customers—McDonald's, Burger King, Safeway, and others-for convincing the company to stop using gestation crates. PETA has been working with these very corporations for almost 10 years, urging them to demand that their pig-flesh suppliers stop using gestation crates. PETA has also been pushing Smithfield directly for years, attending its annual meetings and meeting with its executives. In addition, thousands of animal rights activists in Florida and Arizona recently worked to pass statewide bans on gestation crates; these victories likely showed Smithfield that the days of gestation crates were numbered because Americans are against cruelty to animals. Maple Leaf cited Smithfield's move as the primary reason why it, too, decided to get rid of gestation crates.

Congratulations to all the animal advocates all over North America who helped make this possible!

Many of the largest animal-killing corporations have still done practically nothing to stop the worst abuses of animals on factory farms and in slaughterhouses—the most notorious example is KFC, which continues to allow horrific abuses of chickens raised for its restaurants. This Smithfield victory shows how caring people can make a major difference in changing how giant companies treat animals. Please help keep the ball rolling for farmed animals by getting involved at www.KentuckyFriedCruelty.com.

Please send a kind note thanking Smithfield Foods and Maple Leaf Foods officials for making the right choice for animals, and encourage them to keep working with PETA and other animal protection advocates to make improvements in how they treat animals:

Dennis Treacy, Vice President of Environmental and Corporate Affairs
Smithfield Foods, Inc.
200 Commerce St.
Smithfield, VA 23430
information@smithfieldfoods.com

Michael McCain, CEO
Maple Leaf Foods Inc.
30 St. Clair Ave. W.
Ste. 1500
Toronto, ON M4V 3A2
Canada
Click here to e-mail Maple Leaf Foods.