A major win for animal welfare came via Canada-based duBreton earlier this week. The supplier signed an agreement with independent breeders enabling them to convert their farms to the production of animal welfare-certified pork, meeting the new California standards for Proposition 12.
"The regulations and costs associated to the collective distribution of pork in Quebec are slowing down the individual initiatives of many companies and have already forced duBreton to procure its Certified Humane animal welfare-certified pigs from outside the province,” says Vincent Breton, Chief Executive Officer. “To maintain independent pork production in Quebec, we need to develop, innovate, and take risks, and that's what we're doing today by announcing an agreement with 10 independent Quebec producers that will ultimately give them access to the California market."
According to a press release, this agreement is an excellent opportunity for independent producers, offering them a market alternative. These producers are remunerated on a cost-of-production basis, in addition to a bonus paid according to the type of pork produced. Over the past year, duBreton’s antibiotic-free hog program paid producers $72 per hog more than the Quebec market, the release noted.
The company has been raising cage-free pigs since 2003, and its organic certifications, Certified Humane and GAP 5-step, greatly exceed the animal welfare requirements of Proposition 12.
We applaud duBreton on its continued efforts toward improving animal welfare.
