Pork Comparison
Protecting Poultry & Farms
Understanding How Pork Is Raised Matters
By comparing farming practices, from conventional systems through GAP 5, we can shine a light on the vast differences in animal care, from confinement to pasture-based living. Knowing how pigs are raised is essential to ensuring humane treatment, dignity, and respect for the animals, while also protecting the health and safety of our food and food systems.
Crate-Free Advocacy & Policy Resources
Applegate Farms – See Animal Welfare Practices for Pork in Action!
Compassion in World Farming – Pig Welfare Issues & Pig Welfare Articles
Compassion in World Farming – PigTrack 2024 Report (PDF)
Animal Equality – The Silent Struggle of Mother Pigs (PDF)
Humane Society International – Stop Farrowing Crates for Mother Pigs
Farm Forward – What Are Gestation Crates and Are They Legal in the U.S.?
Farm VS Factory– Side-by-Side Compare Infographic
Global Animal Partnership – Pig Welfare Standards
Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation – Banning Farrowing Crates Report (PDF)
Animal Welfare Institute – Comments on PorkCARE Standards (PDF)
WHAT IS BIRD FLU?
Bird flu, or avian influenza (AI), is a viral infection that primarily affects wild birds and domestic poultry. While many wild bird species can carry the virus without symptoms, recent outbreaks in large-scale factory poultry farms—where birds are densely housed in unhealthy conditions—have accelerated its spread and increased the probability of more dangerous strains developing.
Like all viruses, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) mutates through genetic drift, a process in which random genetic changes occur as the virus replicates and infects new hosts. Each mutation (currently H5N1) raises the risk to human health by enhancing the virus's ability to spread, increasing its severity, or allowing it to infect new species, including humans. Therefore, the larger the outbreak, the greater the chance of a more dangerous and deadly mutation.
The current H5N1 strain exemplifies these risks, and recent mutations have allowed “bird flu” to spread to not only birds but also mammals. In light of recent detections of H5N1 in dairy cattle, wild mammals, and even humans, it is crucial that farmers take action and personal responsibility to prevent and limit its spread.