Pig meat producers in Europe are suffering the smallest profits in a decade. Reasonable explanations include the impacts of higher feed costs and the loss of exports due to African Swine Fever. A less likely explanation posed by animal welfare campaigners in Europe is that consumers are avoiding a product whose production methods are contrary to popular animal welfare standards. European per capita pig meat consumption has been declining for years and well in advance of the current campaign to change animal welfare practices (see graph below). China may be the largest consumer of pig meat, but Europeans are the larger per capita consumers, eating nearly 17 percent more at present levels. Blaming animal welfare is speculative convenience se...

TAGS – Feed Grains, Livestock, Europe