World Animal Protection Holds Demonstration Outside Walmart's Annual Shareholder Meeting

Organization encourages shareholders and company executives to institute policies to improve the lives of mother pigs

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Jun 05, 2019, 18:01 ET

NEW YORK, June 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- World Animal Protection staff and volunteers traveled to Northwest Arkansas to engage Walmart stockholders and company executives about the conditions many mother pigs experience on factory farms, including cruel continuous confinement. Roughly 3 out of 4 mother pigs in the US are isolated and confined in small cages called gestation crates, unable to move around freely, turn around, or lie down with her limbs fully extended. As the world's largest retailer, Walmart can help end this cruelty, namely, by only sourcing pork from producers committed to ending the cruel confinement of pigs.

World Animal Protection staff and volunteers outside Walmart Annual General Meeting in Arkansas.

As shareholders and retail business leaders began to arrive they had an opportunity to view and experience the cruel confinement of mother pigs with a human-size gestation crate. Additionally, World Animal Protection staff explained how failing to institute a ban on gestation crates is a threat to Walmart's business and Walmart US should set a clear timeline to shift 100% of its pork supply from gestation crates to group housing for mother pigs.

According to research commissioned by World Animal Protection, nearly 9 out of 10 (88%) of Walmart customers surveyed agree that supermarkets have a responsibility to ensure pigs are treated well. Many Walmart competitors—Costco, Kroger, Target, Albertson's—have all made some commitment to stop confining pregnant sows in cages.

"Pigs are playful, social and intelligent beings," said Ben Williamson, Programs Director, World Animal Protection. "An isolated life in a cage, is a life of cruelty and it must end. Our supporters and many of the people we spoke with in Arkansas recognize that eliminating gestation crates from their supply line would not only benefit mother pigs, but it will also benefit Walmart's consumer sentiment."

This demonstration in Arkansas by World Animal Protection is part of a multi-country effort by the organization with other actions taking place in Canada, Brazil and Mexico before bringing the concerns of Walmart customers to the Annual General Meeting.

Pigs are amongst the most intensively farmed animals on the planet, often suffering at every stage of their lives. Pork is big business and supermarkets spend millions of dollars each year sourcing pork from producers around the world – supermarkets have the power to end the cruel suffering of pigs.

Large retailers like Walmart have the power to eliminate gestation crates. In fact, 78% of Walmart customers would be more inclined to shop at a major supermarket that is committed to phasing out cages.

World Animal Protections is asking consumers to help eliminate the cruel confinement of mother pigs by telling Walmart to publicly commit to sourcing fresh pork only from suppliers that do not keep mother pigs in cages. There are several ways consumers can act to protect pigs:

Stop buying pork at Walmart stores until they publicly commit to sourcing from crate-free suppliers.
Write a letter to Walmart's CEO. Learn how at www.worldanimalprotection.us/writeforwelfare
Sign our pledge to buy high-welfare pork and help end factory farming at www.worldanimalprotection.us/raisepigsright

World Animal Protection has moved the world to protect animals for more than 50 years. The organization's activities include working with companies to ensure high standards of welfare for the animals in their care; working with governments and other stakeholders to prevent wild animals being cruelly traded, trapped or killed; and saving the lives of animals and the livelihoods of the people who depend on them in disaster situations. World Animal Protection influences decision-makers to put animals on the global agenda and inspires people to change animals' lives for the better. They have consultative status at the Council of Europe and collaborate with national governments, the United Nations, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health to improve the lives of millions of animals.

SOURCE World Animal Protection