In 2019, the pork industry widely promoted the guarantee of pig welfare after the publication of a documentary denouncing the animals’ living conditions. But in 2021, new videos challenge the idea that the problems have been solved.
In 2019, NRK, the national broadcasting company, published a documentary about the poor living conditions inside Norwegian pig barns. It led to a series of reunions between the largest actors in the industry demanded by the Minister of Agriculture. It ended with promises of video surveillance inside facilities, farmer training, or a mandatory animal welfare program. Acknowledging pigs are clean and curious animals, it recommended a minimal and clean space for each pig, straw on the floor or even a tassel to play with.
After a year, the Norwegian Farmers Union declared pig living conditions were good.
But activists of the Network for Animals, a non-governmental animal welfare organization, anonymously visited at least 28 farms after 2019’s declared changes. They intruded in barns at night and recorded poor living conditions. Almost all pigs in the videos still lived on concrete, surrounded by dirt and feces. Dead animals were sometimes lying on the floor. Others were sick or injured. Activists also filmed pigtails as it informs if they are happy when the tail is curled.
Some farms sold pigs and sows to Gilde and Nortura, a large slaughterhouse and Norway’s biggest food supplier. Yet, the company had advertised it guaranteed animal welfare. “If it says Gilde on the package, you should be sure that the meat is Norwegian, and that the animals are well,” the company promised in the largest Norwegian newspaper in 2019.
Contacted by NKR, Nortura had already identified issues with half of the farms involved in the videos and took action — 2 farmers ceased operating, for example. “We are not at the finish line, but continue the work,” the chairman told NRK. Of the 1,500 pig suppliers at Nortura, 298 were removed from the list because of poor animal welfare, 26 were banned, and 12 stopped their activity.
Animal welfare ad was greenwashing
But the food giant also recognizes now that the claims were false. “Yes, it was greenwashing,” admitted the executive vice president of Nortura. The Norwegian Consumer Agency had concluded that they performed a misleading marketing campaign.
The different actors condemned the videos and recognized improvement was still necessary. However, the Norwegian Farmers Union considers the videos are not representative of the 2,000 Norwegian pig producers. And on June 10, the union’s annual meeting adopted a resolution stating all animals must be treated well. It would welcome a report from the parliament on animal welfare.
Nortura also asks the Norwegian Food Safety Authority to come more often to the farms for unexpected inspections.
In 2019, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority found 217 violations, which NKR was able to study. Half of the violations were due to a lack of dry litter, space, water or cleaned bins. Another third was due to sick or injured animals not receiving treatment. The analysis pointed out that few farms received control after requiring to improve the conditions. The authority mostly trusted the farmers who asserted modifications were done. Yet, in a barn, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority controlled and found repeated animal welfare violations for eight years.
As part of the Supervision of the welfare of pigs 2021–2022, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority controlled 73 farms during the first quarter of 2021. But the website mentions it is too early to draw statistics or conclusions from the results.
As in 2019, all actors want to show strong goodwill but are also keen for the authorities to show them the way.
Media sources and useful links:
- Griseindustriens-brutte-løfter, NRK, June 2021, Free access
- Innlegg: Ja, det var grønnvasking, Dagens Næringsliv, June 2021, Free access
- Vi godtar ikke dårlig dyrevelferd og har nullvisjon for dyrevelferdssaker, Norges Bondelag, June 2021, Free access
- Tilsyn med velferden for svin 2021–2022, Mattilsynet, June 2021, Free access
