Harris Teeter Announces Ban on Gestation Crates

Yet another major grocery chain has announced its decision to eliminate gestation crates—metal stalls that house pregnant pigs—from its supply chain. Harris Teeter Supermarkets joins Costco, Safeway, and Kroger grocery chains—along with such fast food giants as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, and Subway—in renouncing the cruel crates. Harris Teeter has more than 200 locations nationwide and boasts annual sales of more than $4 billion. The chain promises to phase out the crates within “a reasonable timeframe.” Despite the sea change toward crate-free production, Dave Warner, the National Pork Producers Council director of communications callously commented recently, “I don’t know who asked the sow if she wanted to turn around.”