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Chipotle on Cargill: Don't stop at group housing for sows

Cargill, one of the largest pork producers in the U.S., has completed conversion of all its company-owned farms to group housing for sows. It's a step in the right direction, said a spokesperson for the Chipotle Mexican Grill, but Cargill needs to go further.

January 29, 2015

Kansas-based Cargill Pork LLC, one of the largest pork producers in the U.S., announced it is 11 months ahead of its schedule for completing the conversion to group housing for sows at company-owned farms.

“This is a significant investment in the future of our pork business, and one we made as the result of listening to the marketplace in recent years, " said Mike Luker, president of Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation’s pork business, in a company press release. "Many of our customers have made commitments related to the pork they will buy in the future, and we intend to meet those needs."

It's a step in the right direction, said a spokesperson for the Chipotle Mexican Grill, which advocates naturally raised pork, but Cargill needs to go further.

Chipotle made headlines earlier this year when it pulled its popular pork carnitas off the menu in about a third of its stores over supply issues. Chipotle discovered violations related to housing conditions for pigs during a routine audit of one of its major suppliers.

Cargill is not a supplier for Chipotle, according to Chipotle spokesperson Chris Arnold, and he doesn’t know that Chipotle's stand had any impact on the company's decision to move to group housing.

"We’re always pleased to see companies in the food system move toward better ways of producing food, and we hope that they won’t stop with this, but will move on to improve in other areas too," said Arnold in an email. "Moving away from sub-therapeutic antibiotic use in hog farming would be a great next step for them."

The target for conversion to group housing at contract farms containing Cargill Pork sows remains Dec. 31, 2017. Hogs produced by Cargill Pork-owned sows represent approximately 30 percent of the total animals harvested each year at Cargill’s two pork processing facilities.