According to the National Pork Producers Council in the United States, Dr. Elizabeth Cox, animal care program manager for the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Prop 12 enforcement will start on July 2, 2023. Since the definition of sow housing changed 18 months ago, no product or pigs will be “grandfathered in.” Therefore, all products sold in California beginning July 2, 2023, must be from sows housed in a manner compliant with Prop 12.
“There appears to be no answer other than bad news for an already beleaguered pork market. Hard to believe California supermarkets will be all but void of pork in the meat case come July 2 … but here we are,” said Bill Alford, general manager of Hams Marketing Services in Winnipeg, MB. “Stay tuned!”
Cam Dahl, the general manager of Manitoba Pork Council, also in Winnipeg, said this is another thing that will make it harder to export into the U.S.
“It’s further disrupting our integrated market between Canada and the U.S., including the proposed changes to the product of the USA labelling. So Proposition 12 doesn’t stand alone,” said Dahl.
These issues become problematic because Canada negotiates trade agreements with the government of the United States, not 50 agreements with 50 different states, and that’s really what Proposition 12 will set up.
“Every state can have standards and impose their viewpoint, not necessarily evidence or science-based, on the rest of North America. So it becomes very costly and difficult,” he said.
Hannah Thompson-Weeman of the Animal Agriculture Alliance said it would give the animal activist encouragement and the money for more of these things to happen, even though some of them are way out.
Dahl understands that at least eight states have similar legislation waiting for the Supreme Court to rule and won’t stay in California. In Manitoba, at least 60 per cent of hog barns have converted to full group housing for sows.
“But we don’t know if they will comply with the particular regulations in Proposition 12, despite the expense and effort to modify their production. So the goalposts always keep changing,” said the M.P. GM.
Hog farmers can’t afford to spend millions, and with ongoing required changes, most producers can’t afford to stay in business.
With increased costs and producers needing to make those changes, Prop 12 will result in higher pork prices in that state while placing added financial pressure on pork producers throughout North America.
Florian Possberg, a partner with Polar Pork Farms in Saskatchewan, said California accounts for about 15 to 20 per cent of U.S. pork consumption but could set the standard for other states regarding animal welfare with only one per cent of total U.S. pork production. They only have a little agriculture, and it’s easy for their legislation to adopt very restrictive animal production requirements. It is very popular with urban voters but not so much for the people that produce food.
“Not only does it affect California, but we fully expect it to set a precedent that will allow other states to follow what California has done,” said Possberg. “This could have ramifications for grain production, milk, eggs, and organics, not just pork.”
The Supreme Court has set a precedent and big states like New York and California, with high levels of urban voters and almost no food producers.
“Sometimes urban consumers don’t understand the trouble they’re causing themselves by supporting some of these initiatives that don’t make a lot of sense,” he said.
Possberg said some producers would try to meet California’s codes and supply the California market at a different price.
“I say we strategically set up fresh pork stands all along the California state borders and make hay!” that comment wraps things up from Bill Alford. •
— By Harry Siemens