In 2023, JBS made a new commitment, which Sinergia has clearly outlined. This commitment is the “cobre e solta” (pre-implantation) system, as stated on the JBS web page Sinergia provided to ACE. The page says: “O manejo ‘cobre e solta’ está inserido em todos os novos projetos,” meaning, “The pre-implantation system is integrated into all new projects.” This new commitment, finalized in 2023 after negotiations with Sinergia and other animal protection organizations, represents a real step forward.
I agree there is a different commitment from the one announced in 2015 respecting “gestação coletiva” (group housing), and that Vetted Causes did not mention this. The report linked just above says the following on p. 33. “Para novos projetos de unidades de produção de leitões, estão previstos” “100% das gestações climatizadas com manejo cobre e solta”, which means new projects to produce piglets will solely rely on the pre-implantation system. In addition, the information provided in the report respects animal welfare initiatives which were ongoing in 2022 (“As informações apresentadas sobre esse tema material [“Bem-estar Animal”] são referentes ao período de 1° de janeiro a 31 de dezembro de 2022″). So JBS made the commitment in 2022, or even earlier? Their 2021 sustainability report already mentioned a commitment to use “a pre-implantation transfer system” for new projects. “These adaptations are designed to ensure that sows spend a maximum of 28 days in individual gestation crates. The new systems use a pre-implantation transfer system that allows sows to be housed in collective systems after artificial insemination”. Sinergia contributed to JBS commiting to a maximum duration in gestation crates of 7 instead of 28 days, although both refer to “a pre-implantation transfer system”, and the new maximum duration started being enforced for new projects from 2022 on?
This group housing commitment was announced by JBS in 2015 (not 2020, as Vetted Causes claims).
Nitpick. Vetted Causes did not claim the commitment was announced in 2015. They said “the gestation crate policy that the alleged commitment references was already listed on JBS’s website in 2020 [which does not mean it was announced this year], and has been in effect since that point”.
In 2023, Aurora revised its position on its website, stating unequivocally that only immunocastration would be carried out, and eliminating the “recommendation” aspect. The revised statement reads:
“Surgical castration: Aurora Coop only uses immunocastration, as it is a less invasive practice for animals.”
I agree with Carolina that Aurora was still performing surgical castration in 2022, although “with the use of anesthetic”. Otherwise, I would not have expected the version from 24 October 2022 at 16:45:06 to have elaborated on what to do when immunological castration is not possible. “Regarding surgical castration of piglets, we recommend immunological castration, which provides greater comfort and less stress to the animals. However, when this is not possible, the procedure should be performed according to technical recommendations and with the use of anesthetic”. The version from 24 October 2022 at 16:45:06 also says “The Cooperative only chooses to adopt Immunocastration, as it is a less invasive practice.”, which adds confusion because it can reasonably be interpreted as Aurora only using immunological castration.
Nevertheless, Aurora said in 2021 that they were using immunocastration on a large scale, and the information on Aurora’s website on 24 October 2022 at 14:45:06 is compatible with surgical castration rarely being performed then, and ending in 2023 regardless of Sinergia’s work. I guess ACE overestimated Sinergia’s impact on Aurora’s commitment by assuming this was as beneficial as preventing 7 years of all piglets being surgically castrated.
Moreover, I think ACE overestimated the benefits of the commitment, @Vince Mak 🔸. They used a decrease of 0.628suffering-adjusted days (SADs) per piglet helped referring an improvement from “Piglets (HIC) - full suite of mutilations” to “Piglets (HIC) - no castration”, whereas the real improvement was from surgical castration with the use of anesthetic to immunological castration, which seems to respect a much smaller decrease in the amount of suffering.
In 2023, BRF made a more substantial commitment, outlined on their website and in their 2023 Annual Report (page 66).
@Carolina Galvani—Sinergia Animal, I agree Vetted Causes did not mention this commitment. “A partir de 2023, todos os novos projetos para alojamento de matrizes suínas serão no modelo cobre e solta”, which means new project will be in the model “cobre e solta”. However, I do not think you should have assumed a transition deadline of 2023 applying to all the 409 k sows from BRF (which you took from p. 20 here). Only 54.5 % (= 223*10^3/(409*10^3)) of BRF’s sows were in group housing according to a report published in January 2024 referring to 2023, and “cobre e solta” is a specific type of group housing, so less than 54.5 % of BRF’s sows were in “cobre e solta” in 2023. You assumed 100 %, thus overestimating your impact.
Nitpick. The commitment is mentioned on page 65, not 66.
So JBS made the commitment in 2022, or even earlier? Their 2021 sustainability report already mentioned a commitment to use “a pre-implantation transfer system” for new projects.
Carolina discussed this here. I followed up there. I do not understand what was Sinergia’s contribution to JBS’ commitment to only rely on the pre-implantation system in all new projects, @Vince Mak 🔸.
Only 54.5 % (= 223*10^3/(409*10^3)) of BRF’s sows were in group housing according to a report published in January 2024 referring to 2023, and “cobre e solta” is a specific type of group housing, so less than 54.5 % of BRF’s sows were in “cobre e solta” in 2023. You assumed 100 %, thus overestimating your impact.
From BRF’s website on 25 March 2025, only 5 % of saws in 2023 were in the pre-implantation system, which you said is “known as “cobre e solta””. So I think your assumption that 100 % of sows transitioned to “cobre e solta” in 2023 overestimates your impact through this commitment a lot.
Thanks, Carolina.
I agree there is a different commitment from the one announced in 2015 respecting “gestação coletiva” (group housing), and that Vetted Causes did not mention this. The report linked just above says the following on p. 33. “Para novos projetos de unidades de produção de leitões, estão previstos” “100% das gestações climatizadas com manejo cobre e solta”, which means new projects to produce piglets will solely rely on the pre-implantation system. In addition, the information provided in the report respects animal welfare initiatives which were ongoing in 2022 (“As informações apresentadas sobre esse tema material [“Bem-estar Animal”] são referentes ao período de 1° de janeiro a 31 de dezembro de 2022″). So JBS made the commitment in 2022, or even earlier? Their 2021 sustainability report already mentioned a commitment to use “a pre-implantation transfer system” for new projects. “These adaptations are designed to ensure that sows spend a maximum of 28 days in individual gestation crates. The new systems use a pre-implantation transfer system that allows sows to be housed in collective systems after artificial insemination”. Sinergia contributed to JBS commiting to a maximum duration in gestation crates of 7 instead of 28 days, although both refer to “a pre-implantation transfer system”, and the new maximum duration started being enforced for new projects from 2022 on?
Nitpick. Vetted Causes did not claim the commitment was announced in 2015. They said “the gestation crate policy that the alleged commitment references was already listed on JBS’s website in 2020 [which does not mean it was announced this year], and has been in effect since that point”.
I agree with Carolina that Aurora was still performing surgical castration in 2022, although “with the use of anesthetic”. Otherwise, I would not have expected the version from 24 October 2022 at 16:45:06 to have elaborated on what to do when immunological castration is not possible. “Regarding surgical castration of piglets, we recommend immunological castration, which provides greater comfort and less stress to the animals. However, when this is not possible, the procedure should be performed according to technical recommendations and with the use of anesthetic”. The version from 24 October 2022 at 16:45:06 also says “The Cooperative only chooses to adopt Immunocastration, as it is a less invasive practice.”, which adds confusion because it can reasonably be interpreted as Aurora only using immunological castration.
Nevertheless, Aurora said in 2021 that they were using immunocastration on a large scale, and the information on Aurora’s website on 24 October 2022 at 14:45:06 is compatible with surgical castration rarely being performed then, and ending in 2023 regardless of Sinergia’s work. I guess ACE overestimated Sinergia’s impact on Aurora’s commitment by assuming this was as beneficial as preventing 7 years of all piglets being surgically castrated.
Moreover, I think ACE overestimated the benefits of the commitment, @Vince Mak 🔸. They used a decrease of 0.628 suffering-adjusted days (SADs) per piglet helped referring an improvement from “Piglets (HIC) - full suite of mutilations” to “Piglets (HIC) - no castration”, whereas the real improvement was from surgical castration with the use of anesthetic to immunological castration, which seems to respect a much smaller decrease in the amount of suffering.
@Carolina Galvani—Sinergia Animal, I agree Vetted Causes did not mention this commitment. “A partir de 2023, todos os novos projetos para alojamento de matrizes suínas serão no modelo cobre e solta”, which means new project will be in the model “cobre e solta”. However, I do not think you should have assumed a transition deadline of 2023 applying to all the 409 k sows from BRF (which you took from p. 20 here). Only 54.5 % (= 223*10^3/(409*10^3)) of BRF’s sows were in group housing according to a report published in January 2024 referring to 2023, and “cobre e solta” is a specific type of group housing, so less than 54.5 % of BRF’s sows were in “cobre e solta” in 2023. You assumed 100 %, thus overestimating your impact.
Nitpick. The commitment is mentioned on page 65, not 66.
Carolina discussed this here. I followed up there. I do not understand what was Sinergia’s contribution to JBS’ commitment to only rely on the pre-implantation system in all new projects, @Vince Mak 🔸.
From BRF’s website on 25 March 2025, only 5 % of saws in 2023 were in the pre-implantation system, which you said is “known as “cobre e solta””. So I think your assumption that 100 % of sows transitioned to “cobre e solta” in 2023 overestimates your impact through this commitment a lot.