California’s Prop 12 May Increase Sow Deaths and Prices for Consumers

A recent study on California’s Proposition 12, which requires producers to provide more space within animal confinement style operations, showed higher mortality in hogs and no added consumer benefits. Prop 12 was first enacted in 2018 with additional amendments in 2020, it will require 24 square feet of usable floor space per breeding pig and their offspring starting 2022. The report also estimates the rule could add costs of up to $100,000 per year for a typical breeding farm, which may create a trickle down pricing effect to consumers. View more key findings from the Prop 12 study.