Why California’s ‘great bacon crisis’ has yet to arrive
In the months leading up to the arrival of a strict new animal welfare law in California, headlines warned of a“Great California bacon crisis”. The law sets minimum living-space requirements for breeding pigs, which restaurants said could make bacon more expensive and harder to get.
But so far, the pork apocalypse has yet to arrive.
“There seems to be little disruption,” said Ronald Fong, the president of the California Grocers Association, of the law that took effect this month. “We just have not seen a pork shortage.”
California voters approved the law, known as Prop 12, in 2018. It creates minimum space requirements for animals raised to be sold in California, including pigs, calves and chickens. A vital element of the law is that even if a producer is based outside California, they have to follow the rules if they want to sell inside the state.
Breeding pigs must have at least 24 square feet per sow – the size of two large bath towels. While it doesn’t sound like a lot, it’s a big change from the crates many animals live in.
“This is a giant leap forward,” said Vicky Bond, a veterinarian with the non-profit international animal advocacy group the Humane League. “It’s the strongest law we’ve ever seen,” adding that the law puts California ahead of the European Union in terms of animal welfare.
The lack of disruption in California’s pork supply chain so far could be due to the fact that pork produced before 31 December 2021 is considered compliant, and grocers and restaurants can keep inventory for five to six months before it needs to be sold. That means the final supply of 2021 pork is due to arrive in June.
Industry groups, however, have continued to protest against the law, saying it will destabilize the
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