Why is welfare pork so expensive?

Specialty pork products, offering benefits like higher animal welfare, reduced antibiotic use, and lower environmental impact, also present a business opportunity for producers and retailers by appealing to consumers willing to pay a premium. However, the higher costs of producing niche pork and limited consumer willingness to pay may hinder its success, as these products are often easily substituted with standard pork. To ensure profitability, the study, based on the Danish pork market, identified two key strategies to reduce costs. Firstly, replacing mainstream pork entirely with niche products in supermarket chiller sections could make specialty pork the new standard. Secondly, improving carcass balance would allow the premium paid to farmers to be spread across more parts of the pig, reducing retail prices. This approach could halve the necessary price increase, making niche pork more accessible. Ultimately, driving down costs along the value chain can help boost the production and sale of welfare-oriented pork products. Read the full article on Animal.