Use your voice to help mother pigs out of their crates of torment
Dear Supporter,
You gave your voice on behalf of South Africa’s mother pigs in early January 2011 and we gained a break-through! Mr Simon Streicher, CEO of the SA Pork Producer’s Organisation proposed a partial phase-out of the infamous sow stalls/crates by 2020 with the proviso that after 2020, if stalls/crates were still used, they would allow pigs to turn around, and in addition pigs would not spend more than 63 days in them, each pregnancy.
But this is not good enough! These are contraptions of torture and torment that we are talking about! Compassion in World Farming (South Africa) needs your voice again! Please write to our supermarkets and enlist their help in fast-tracking a ban on sow stalls/crates.
Woolworths:
Head of Perishables: Julian Novak
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Pick n Pay:
National Manager for Pick n Pay Butcheries: Ian Crook
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Shoprite Checkers:
Project Manager for Meat Market Department: Ms Sumari Schutte:
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Spar Group:
Brand Manager: Judith Gale
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You could say:
Dear .....
Please help release the 103 000 mother sows who produce the young pigs that provide the ham and bacon products on your supermarket shelves.
Please ask your suppliers to become part of the solution in freeing them from this existence of deprivation, immobilisation and torment.
Sow stalls/crates are already banned in the UK and Sweden and are being phased out by New Zealand, Tasmania, EU member states, some states in the USA, and the pork industry in Australia recently decided on a voluntary phase-out by 2017.
With your help we can eradicate these unconscionable contraptions of meat production from South African animal agriculture altogether.
I await your urgent reply.
Sincerely,
CNN Headline News - Inhumane Factory Farming Practices to Blame for Flu Outbreak
Tony Gerrans letter to Die Burger
Geagte Meneer
Tot betrekking die artikel in Die Burger Naweek-Joernaal van 27 Februarie 2009: Nuwe tegnologie verhoog varke se produktiwiteit.
Dit is teleurstellend om te sien dat julle 'n artikel plaas wat intensiewe hok gebaseerde varkboerdery aanmoedig. Die aanhouding van intelligente en sensitiewe soogdiere in abnormale omstandighede, wat hulle verhoed om normaal te funksioneer en rond te beweeg is wreedaardig. Hierde metode van boerdery raak onaanvaarbaar vir verbruikers, soveel so dat die Europese Unie en 'n groot hoeveelheid state in Amerika die manier van boerdery verban het.
Ek verwys na u artikel in Naweek-Joernaal van 27 Februarie 2009: Nuwe tegnologie verhoog varke se produktiwiteit.
Die verslag dui aan dat die produktiwiteit van die varkseksie van die Universiteit Stellenbosch se proefplaas by MariendahI verhoog het, gedeeltelik te danke aan die nuwe kraamkratte in die kraamhuis.
Many supermarkets defend themselves against accusations of being part of cruel practices of animal husbandry by saying they support farmers who adhere to industry standards and codes of practice. The trouble is that sow stalls for pigs (like battery cages for laying hens) comply with existing industry standards and codes of practice! Compassion in World Farming(SA) says: Dump these archaic contraptions of animal torture.Click here (video clip) to see how breeding sows live out their lives. This clip was taken on a commercial pig farm on the Western Cape's prestigious Wine Route. The piglets of these sows are reared for a few short months to be slaughtered for our ham and bacon. In South Africa, 2.1 million pigs are slaughtered annually.
ACTION ALERT: Please add your voice. Request supermarkets to help ban abusive systems of animal production by supporting farmers who offer animals lives worth living.
Tessa Chamberlain, GM Sustainable Development, Pick n Pay:
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Peter Gordon, Commercial Manager: Meat, Seafood and Poultry, Woolworths:
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Brian Weyers, Marketing Director, Shoprite/Checkers:
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Graham Claassens, National Brands Manager for Spar:
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On World Water Day (22nd March) and on every other day, for that matter, we need to remember that meat-eating carries a giant water footprint. Did you know? It takes 13 million litres of water to raise and convert one cow or ox into meat! Did you know? To produce one portion of beef (250g) requires the same amount of drinking water that one person needs (at one litre a day) for 34 years of life!
For further info, go to: http://www.waterfootprint.org/
Action Alert 
Click here to download Banning Sow stalls in SA