Kind farmers sleep with a clear conscience

Compassion in World Farming has a long and successful history of encouraging farmers, producers and retailers to recognise that there are humane and viable alternatives to barren, crowded, factory farms.

Despite Compassion’s work, it is estimated that at least half of the world’s pigmeat is still produced in intensive systems. Given this fact and the distressing results of our recent investigation into pig farming throughout Europe, one could perhaps be forgiven for feeling pessimistic about the plight of the pig – one of the most charismatic and intelligent of our planet’s creatures.

Hugh Norris of Plantation Pigs

It’s farmers like Hugh Norris of Plantation Pigs who inspire optimism for pigs and all farmed animals, and are living proof that kinder farming is sustainable and viable.

Nestled in the rural idyll just five minutes away from Compassion’s headquarters in Surrey lies a farm that is leading the way for higher welfare farming on a commercially significant scale. What makes this farm special is not just the care and consideration given to its animals, but the story of its owner – someone who understands first-hand the horrors of intensive pig farming.

As a youngster, Hugh worked in mixed farming (arable and livestock). This led him to studying agriculture and biology at university. There he became fascinated by the pig – and the emerging techniques for farming this animal so cleverly and quickly that it could convert food into meat with maximum efficiency. On leaving university, his fascination took him to Manchester to manage an intensive pig unit. For the first time, he witnessed the wider ramifications of modern, intensive farming.

Hugh became horrified by the dark, confined spaces of the factory farm. Beyond the obvious physical problems the pigs were suffering, it dawned upon him how intelligent these animals are and how susceptible they are to stress. His observations of the animals’ behaviour led him to believe that their environment was, quite simply, wrong:

“Look at the shape of their extraordinary rubbery noses they want to be doing more than rubbing them away at barren concrete floors.”

His experiences also raised wider questions: “Is this the right way to be producing meat? The intensive pig unit seemed so far removed from the farming I remembered as a boy. I could not have carried on farming in that intensive way. I just don’t think it’s right to abuse animals.”

In the late 1980s, Hugh relocated to the South of England and became involved in a new enterprise that involved breeding pigs outside. The original aim of this project was to wean piglets and sell them on to other farms for fattening. Again, to Hugh this seemed wrong: “Why go to all the effort of raising pigs outside in decent conditions, only to shove them back indoors again?” This questioning led to the type of farming practised by Hugh today.

Hugh has learned that higher meat quality comes from slower growing animals who have freedom to roam around outside and express their natural behaviour. As a result, Hugh’s pigs don’t have to suffer tail docking, teeth clipping, castration, confinement or any of the other symptoms of modern intensive pig farming. Yet this is no smallholding. The farm is home to more than 3,000 animals over 70 acres – demonstrating that higher welfare farming is achievable on a commercial scale.

The results of his philosophy are clear to see. You don’t have to be an expert in animal behaviour to recognise that these free-range pigs lead enriched, stimulating lives. Hugh admits that this type of farming is not without its problems: predators take their toll and good free-range stockmanship becomes far more challenging in the heat of summer or the depths of winter. Yet despite these challenges and the perils of the marketplace, Hugh remains upbeat:

“As more and more people start to acknowledge that good food does cost something, that food can’t just be taken for granted, I have reasons for optimism. I am not saying that I have the moral highground or that we are perfect, but I am proud of where I am. I can go to bed at night not fretting about the welfare of the animals in my care.”

Find out more about Hugh Norris and his farms at plantationpigs.co.uk