McDonald’s Phasing Out Crates

Yesterday, McDonald’s announced that it will require its US pork suppliers to phase out the use of gestation crates—small enclosures that prevent even basic movement of sows. The company plans on conducting an initial assessment of its suppliers, each of which will submit a proposal outlining their plans to eliminate the crates. Dan Gorsky, senior vice president of McDonald’s North America Supply Chain Management, says, “McDonald’s believes gestation stalls are not a sustainable production system for the future. There are alternatives that we think are better for the welfare of sows.” Late last year, Smithfield Foods, one of McDonald’s pork suppliers, announced its intention to phase out the use of gestation crates by 2017.