KPS Farm Animal Welfare Policy: Sow Stall Free Commitment

1. Our approach to farm animal welfare

KPS Farm is dedicated to advancing high standards of animal welfare in its operations. As the first recipient of the Sow Stall Free Award in Thailand, KPS Farm is proud to lead the way in humane pig farming practices. We recognize that farm animals are sentient beings, capable of experiencing both positive and negative emotions. Animal welfare encompasses both the physical and mental wellbeing of an animal as well as their ability to engage in behaviours that are important to them, their behavioural preferences. Animal welfare frameworks, such as the Five Freedoms and Five Domains, can be used to set out the specific conditions necessary to avoid poor welfare and to provide good welfare.

Figure 1. Animal welfare frameworks: The Five Freedoms, with suggested 6th freedom (left) and the Five Domains (right)

Taken from What is Animal Welfare ?, Compassion in World Farming, 2023.

2. Sow stall free policy overview

We aim to ensure humane rearing conditions for our animals and to that effect we are committed to not use sow stalls and instead keep all of our breeding sows in groups during the entire dry period.

Current Practices: KPS Farm houses sows in groups throughout the dry period, allowing each sow at least 3m² of space and an area of solid flooring. Our feeding systems are automated, and we maintain low stocking densities to minimize stress and aggression.

Temporary Confinement: Sows may be confined briefly for essential management tasks (e.g., pregnancy checks, vaccinations) target not more than 12 hours at a time. We are committed to reducing this to a maximum of 4 hours by 2027.

3. Policy Scope

This sow stall-free policy applies to all current operations of KPS Farm in Thailand. Furthermore, we are fully committed to implementing this policy at any new site acquired or brought into operation under KPS Farm, including the second farm if it becomes operational again. This commitment is integral to our dedication to maintaining high welfare standards across all facilities.

4. Commitment to Transparency

o KPS Farm will publish updates on our progress toward reducing confinement times and meeting our Sow Stall Free commitment on our website, anticipated for September 2024.

o We will also provide annual updates on our animal welfare progress, working closely with Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) to ensure continued improvement.

5. Future Goals

KPS Farm aims to expand higher welfare practices further by trialing free-farrowing systems and providing sows with manipulable materials and bedding to enrich their environment and support their natural behaviors.