Animal welfare initiative: 14,6 million fattening pigs from 2021
The Initiative Tierwohl (ITW) reports the successful completion of the extended registration phase for the ITW program 2021-2023. After 3.677 pig farms had already registered during the first part of the registration phase in September and October, the ITW was able to admit a further 739 farms in the extension. From 2021, around 24,7 million pigs are expected to be kept in the stalls of the previously registered sow farmers, piglet rearers and fatteners - including 14,6 million fattening pigs.
"The number of animals that have already been registered makes us confident," explains Dr. Alexander Hinrichs, Managing Director of the Animal Welfare Initiative. "Thanks to the extended registration phase, we were again able to admit over two million fattening pigs, which will benefit from the ITW every year from 2021. We are also pleased that we were able to convince a further 121 sow farmers and piglet rearers to continue to get involved in the ITW from 2021. Overall, the successful registration phase is a strong signal.”
In the new program phase, the Animal Welfare Initiative aims to expand the labeling capability with the ITW seal in the pork range. Similar to what has already been achieved with poultry meat since 2018, it is the declared goal of the ITW to enable the conversion of entire product ranges in the trade from level 1 to level 2 husbandry. "With 14,6 million fattening pigs already, this goal has become even more achievable," Hinrichs continues.
About the Initiative animal welfare
With the Animal Welfare Initiative (ITW) launched in 2015, the partners from agriculture, the meat industry, the food trade and gastronomy are committed to their shared responsibility for animal husbandry, animal health and animal welfare in livestock farming. The animal welfare initiative supports farmers financially in implementing measures for the welfare of their livestock that go beyond the legal standards. The implementation of these measures is controlled across the board by the animal welfare initiative. The product seal of the Animal Welfare Initiative only identifies products that come from animals from participating farms of the Animal Welfare Initiative. The Animal Welfare Initiative is gradually establishing more animal welfare on a broad scale and is continuously being further developed.
