In an industry-leading move, Waitrose has announced that all of its brand Italian continental meat is now produced to the highest animal welfare standards, beating all other supermarkets.
This means shoppers can enjoy Waitrose Parma ham, Mortadella, or Prosciutto, knowing the Italian animals have lived free from confinement, with more room to roam and socialise and deep straw bedding to root around in.
Traditionally, animal welfare standards for continental meat have lagged behind those of British meats. However, a long-term partnership between Waitrose and its supplier, The Compleat Food Group, means the retailer was the first Italian meat producer to win a Good Pig Award in 2016. Now, Waitrose has rolled out its high standards across all Italian producers.
Jake Pickering, Senior Manager for Agriculture at Waitrose, said Waitrose was already the world's number one supermarket for animal welfare. Now, it was delighted this move helped the retailer raise the bar even further.
"We are confinement-free in UK farming and have a 2025 commitment for our continental meat. This represents a huge step forward for the welfare standards within our Italian breeding, growing and finishing supply chains and means that well over 50 percent of our continental meat sales will now come from higher welfare pigs," said Pickering.
Waitrose has worked with its Italian suppliers to improve standards significantly, and they have the backing of Compassion in World Farming's Good Pig Award.
Louise Valducci, Head of Food Business (Europe), Compassion in World Farming, said the organisation was encouraged by the steps Waitrose was taking to improve the welfare of pigs in its continental meat supply.
"It highlights the importance of working closely with producers, giving them the confidence and support to invest in cage-free systems to ensure a successful transition across the business," said Valducci.
Consumers are increasingly concerned about animal welfare, and any company committing to cage-free production sends a powerful signal to the market that it is not only a compassionate choice but also achievable at scale.
2017 Waitrose was awarded the 'Cage Free Award' by Compassion in World Farming. This was in recognition of our work to remove the use of cages for farm animals. In 2001, the retailer stopped selling eggs from caged hens, and it only sells outdoor-bred or free-range British pork. It has also pledged to improve the welfare standards within its continental meat supply chain by 2025 by removing all confinement.
In support of Waitrose's Cage Free award from Compassion in World Farming, all its continental pigs will be free from confinement, including prohibiting sow stalls and farrowing crates by 2025.
Waitrose will continue making progress on welfare in its other continental meat supply chains to hit our 2025 target, and it encourages other retailers to follow its lead to ensure British shoppers can enjoy delicious and ethically sourced charcuterie.
