Red Tractor seeks industry views on tiered welfare standards

The Red Tractor Pigs Sector Board has launched a consultation on proposals to introduce tiered welfare standards and labelling for UK pigmeat.

At the request of industry, the six-week consultation includes proposals to introduce two new voluntary tiers, each with its own dedicated logo:

• Enhanced Welfare: Pork from outdoor-bred or outdoor-reared pigs finished indoors, with more space and a solid, bedded lying area.
• Free Range: Pork from pigs with continuous outdoor access.

The consultation also proposes some adjustments to Red Tractor’s existing standards, which it said are required to ensure the equivalence with other assurance schemes, and to ensure core standards reflect best practice.

While the Red Tractor Pigs Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) believes that many outdoor and indoor producers already operate at the proposed standards, the consultation is designed to establish precise views on this.

Red Tractor is also considering a new ‘Certified Standards Plus’ tier for indoor production, with flexible farrowing as the key criteria. It is seeking views on whether such a tier would help support an industry-led transition to flexible farrowing, to avoid conflicting retailer requirements and reduce business uncertainty.

“Red Tractor has supported the pig industry’s voluntary initiatives before, like antibiotic use reporting, and sees an opportunity to do the same here by providing clear standards for flexible farrowing and a mechanism to market it to consumers,” it said.

Reduce cost and complexity

Stewart Houston, Red Tractor Pigs chairman said:  “For pig producers, their commitment to animal welfare is at the heart of everything they do.

“The Red Tractor Pigs Sector Board believes the proposed labelling system would provide a clearer, simpler way for our members to communicate and differentiate their welfare standards. It could also enhance consumers’ ability to make informed purchasing decisions by uniting existing tiers within the pork category under a suite of Red Tractor logos.

“The development of the voluntary Enhanced Welfare and Free Range tiers for pork also demonstrates Red Tractor’s swift delivery against the Farm Assurance Review. The proposed system could remove the need for producers to juggle multiple assurance schemes, reducing audit burden and associated costs. Processors could also benefit from lower licence fees and simplified packaging by using a unified Red Tractor logo system.

“Red Tractor is committed to engaging with as many pig members, processors, retailers, vets, and other stakeholders as possible to ensure Red Tractor assurance continues to deliver for them. The Pigs Sector Board will only introduce the changes if there is majority support from the UK pig industry. I encourage everyone to share their views and help shape the future of UK pig farming.”

He said the ‘Certified Standards Plus’ tier could demonstrate proactive welfare improvements and potentially reduce the need for heavy-handed legislation, while supporting producers in meeting evolving expectations.

“While this tier is still under development and not expected to launch in the near future without further consideration, Red Tractor is looking for early input from producers to help shape the long-term development of this potential additional voluntary tier,” he added.

The Consultation

• You can view the consultation and respond HERE :
• The consultation runs from April 28 to June 6 and is open to all pig producers, industry stakeholders, and supply chain customers.
• Respondents can provide feedback anonymously if preferred, and all input will help finalise the standards to ensure they are workable and beneficial for the industry.
• The Red Tractor Sector Board will review the feedback at its next meeting on June 2025 and, based on industry feedback, decide on whether to introduce the new modules, proceeding only if there is ‘clear support’.

The proposed standards have been developed by the Red Tractor Pigs Technical Advisory Committee, supported by a dedicated task and finish group including a mix of TAC members, vets and welfare experts, and four additional pig producers representing various systems, indoor, flexible farrowing outdoor-bred and free-range systems.

Retailers were involved at the TAC level only. The Red Tractor Pigs Sector Board have overseen and scrutinised the development of the proposals.