The World Class Animal Care Program Makes
Maple Leaf a North American
Leader in Producing Pigs Without Gestation Crates
MISSISSAUGA, ON, Nov. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Maple Leaf Foods
Inc. (TSX: MFI), a leading North American producer of high-quality,
sustainable protein, announced today that by the end of 2021, it
will complete transitioning all breeding sows in company-owned
barns to its unique, industry-leading Advanced Open Sow Housing
System. This world-class system provides optimized, open
housing during pregnancy that allows sows to roam, rest, feed and
socialize freely.
This shift in sow housing make Maple Leaf Foods a North American
leader in producing pigs without gestation crates and represents
another key milestone in the company's commitment to better care
through advanced animal welfare.
Ending the Use of Gestation Crates
In 2014, Canada's pork industry
committed to ending gestation crate use by 2024. As one of
North America's leading protein
producers, Maple Leaf Foods signed this agreement but set a more
ambitious timeline to convert all its owned Maple Leaf Agri-Farms
sow barns to a new Advanced Open Sow Housing System by the end of
2021. Maple Leaf Foods' company-owned barns produce approximately
40 percent of the pigs that the company uses annually to produce
its branded pork products.
Gestation crates are individual stalls in which pregnant pigs
are confined during the 78-day gestation period to ensure their
safety, but concerns have been raised about their impact on welfare
and natural behaviour. A 2013 survey conducted by Humane Society
International–Canada revealed that 84 per cent of Canadians
supported elimination of gestation crates. (1)
As part of the company's commitment to world-class animal care,
Maple Leaf Foods' animal care team studied housing and feeding
systems around the world and combined the best practices it
observed into the company's unique Advanced Open Sow Housing.
Maple Leaf Foods' system differs from other open sow housing
systems by not just opening or removing gestation crates, but
rather by creating housing areas with various spaces that support
sows' desires to choose when to play, to socialize, to eat and to
rest. The unique open system also helps Maple Leaf Foods Team
Members to observe the sows more readily as they move about,
monitor their health more accurately and provide optimal care.
The Maple Leaf Foods Advanced Open Sow Housing System offers
additional comforts, including:
- Electronic sow feeders
- Cool water misters during the hot summer months
- Bright LED lighting
- Windows for natural light
- Night lights for those sows who choose to feed at night.
"Ensuring the animals in our care experience the best possible
environment at Maple Leaf Foods, is the right thing to do and an
essential part of our sustainability commitment," said Michael McCain, President and CEO. "Our progress
in eliminating gestation crates in our sow barns across
Canada is a significant milestone
as we proudly lead the industry towards a more compassionate
approach to animal welfare."
Maple Leaf Foods has a robust and mature sustainability program
in place, focused on delivering Better Food, Better Care, Better
Communities and a Better Planet. Better Care includes the treatment
of animals in accordance with the Five Freedoms and Five Domains,
which are widely accepted principles for ensuring optimal physical
and mental welfare. The company's Advanced Open Sow Housing
model is one of the world's most innovative and has been praised by
leading experts in pig welfare. As a result of the housing
transition, 96 per cent of Greenfield Natural Meat Co.®
pork products will be sourced from open-housed sows by the end of
2021 and that number is expected to rise in 2022 as the
availability of open-housed sows increases. Labels are included on
Greenfield Natural Meat Co.® products to confirm when
pork is sourced from pigs produced without gestation crates.
To learn more about Maple Leaf Foods' commitment to animal care,
visit:
https://www.mapleleaffoods.com/sustainability/better-care/commitment-to-animal-care/
To learn more about sustainability at Maple Leaf Foods,
visit: mapleleaffoods.com/sustainability
To learn more about Maple Leaf Foods brands,
visit: mapleleaffoods.com/our-brands
About Maple Leaf Foods
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. ("Maple Leaf Foods") is a carbon neutral
company with a vision to be the most sustainable protein company on
earth, responsibly producing food products under leading brands
including Maple Leaf®, Maple Leaf Prime®, Maple Leaf Natural
Selections®, Schneiders®, Schneiders® Country Naturals®, Mina®,
Greenfield Natural Meat Co.®, Lightlife® and Field Roast™. Maple
Leaf Foods employs approximately 13,500 people and does business in
Canada, the U.S. and Asia. The company is headquartered in
Mississauga, Ontario, and its
shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (MFI).
(1) SOURCE: Humane Society International 2013, May 9-12 and 14-18, OMINBUS N=2,022
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SOURCE Maple Leaf Foods Inc.