Cranswick to spend £40m to improve pig welfare

Following the completion of an independent, veterinarian-led review of Cranswick’s pig farming operations, the Board of Cranswick plc has pledged to deliver a new, six-point plan to raise animal welfare standards across the business’s pig farming operations.

In response to covert film footage taken by animal rits activists highlighting unacceptable practices at North Moor Farm, Lincolnshire, appears to show "piglet thumping", a banned method of killing animals, the Hessle firm’s board commissioned Dr Andy Butterworth, an independent vet with three decades of experience, to conduct a review.

He was tasked with assessing compliance with legal, industry and retailer animal welfare standards, while also identifying areas for improvement, with a particular focus on the working culture across Cranswick farms.

The review, which involved unannounced visits to 20 pig farms during June, July and August 2025, found the Cranswick farms visited were compliant with legislation and animal welfare standards, and found no evidence of poor handling and treatment of pigs on farm. It concluded that the actions seen in the investigative films were not representative of Cranswick’s normal standards and practices.

Nonetheless, the review set out a range of recommendations for raising standards within Cranswick and across the wider industry.

The recommendations include the standardisation of farming practices and procedures across all Cranswick pig farms, increased use of surveillance systems to ensure good practice for pig welfare on farms, improvements in the culture and working practices on farms, increased focus on animal health and welfare outcomes and collaboration with the industry, Red Tractor and Cranswick customers to develop improved welfare standards for pigs.

The board accepted in full the report’s findings and has committed to the following plan to raise animal welfare standards at Cranswick-run pig farms:

• A full review of Cranswick training, working practices and farm culture. This will include an enhanced training programme, delivered regularly by vets and farm welfare experts.

• The introduction of standardised working practices and procedures across all Cranswick farms, to ensure that standards are the same across Cranswick’s pig farms.

• The continued installation of advanced AI-enabled CCTV surveillance technology to implement good practice for pig welfare on farms and to monitor ongoing health and welfare measures.

• The introduction of five new welfare officer roles, which will be based in a dedicated Cranswick Welfare Hub. This refurbished site will become a centre-of-excellence for training, research and development, and will host Cranswick’s CCTV and AI-enhanced monitoring capabilities.