Pig welfare. Point of view of a rearing animal economist

The welfare is a demand from the society, whose opinion is various and the individual behaviors complex and paradoxicals. The 2001 Directive of the European Union imposes that sows and gilts should be kept in groups as well as an increase in sow space requirements with the authorization to keep fully slatted floors. The meat produced under those rules is not likely to be synonymous of a higher technological meat quality, the pig meat being processed for 70%. In addition, the adoption of these measures produces extra-costs for the breeder assessed between 0,57 and 1,30 cents of euros per kilo deadweight. The impact could be of 3,9 cents if the space requirements for animals at different stages should increase furthermore, as the last report of experts of EFSA suggests it. A study from Inra underlines that should the prices be higher (to improve pig welfare) only a low proportion of consumers would be willing to pay more. The question of the distortion of competition is sensitive, especially concerning countries outside of Europe that do not follow the same rules and that produce cheaper pig meat.