The company has set a 2026 deadline for completing the transition to group housing systems and has also pledged that all new production facilities will implement crate-free housing exclusively starting in 2016.

Humane Society International welcomes this announcement as an important first step and encourages the company to hasten its timeline.

Carolina Galvani, HSI Farm Animals’ senior campaign manager in Brazil, said: “We’re glad to see Aurora join the growing list of pork producers and food retail companies in Brazil that are eliminating the continuous use of gestation crates. This sends a clear message to the industry in Brazil that the future of pork production in the country is gestation crate-free. We look forward to working with other pork producers and food companies on similar policies.”