In the recent announcement of the company policy, the Calabrian breeder Filiera Madeo joins Essere Animali's SOS Pig campaign, abandoning the use of cages for sows and introducing straw bedding for all pigs. This move, the second of its kind in Italy, marks an important step forward in improving animal welfare in intensive Italian farms.
Filiera Madeo, already renowned for its free-range approach to black pig farming, has extended its principles to the new white pig supply chain. Crates, considered an antiquated and controversial practice, will be completely eliminated during gestation and lactation of sows. In addition, the company policy includes the elimination of teeth and tail mutilations, in accordance with the demands of the SOS Pig campaign.
The sows will spend their gestation in open spaces and, during birth and lactation, they will have access to covered pens larger than European recommendations, equipped with straw and other nesting materials. This new approach not only improves animal welfare, but also the quality of the final product.
This initiative by Filiera Madeo demonstrates that it is possible to integrate animal welfare practices into a commercial context, paving the way for greater awareness and responsibility in the pig sector. Essere Animali's Corporate Engagement Manager, Elisa Bianco, underlines the importance of these advances in reducing animal suffering and promoting quality brands such as DOP.
states Elisa Bianco, Corporate Engagement Manager at Essere Animali: “The path that Madeo has pursued in recent years and which culminates with this new policy is evidence of how it is possible to integrate the requests of our SOS Pig campaign into a commercial reality, from the elimination of cages to the availability of straw bedding. These are important steps forward to reduce the suffering of sows and pigs and which are now essential for all those supply chains that want to boast quality brands, such as DOP.”
