Explainer: Closing the welfare gap in New Zealand: What would it actually cost consumers?

60% of pork sold in New Zealand comes from countries still using sow stalls, a practice banned here since 2016. And 80% of Kiwis want our welfare standards to apply to imports too.

But cost of living is front of mind for most Kiwis too. So how would closing the loophole that allows lower welfare animal imports to be sold in New Zealand affect the weekly food shop?

Our price analysis estimates that applying New Zealand's animal welfare standards to imported pork would cost $0.25 per person per week or just 0.22%

of average household food costs per week. 

The full analysis estimates cost to a consumer to be $13.37 per year (range: $3.61 - $33.97), which translates to just $0.25 per week (range: $0.07 - $0.66).

An average household in New Zealand consists of 2.7 people and spends around $300 on food per week. Therefore, this would translate to just $0.66 per week, representing 0.22% of the weekly household food cost. 

This modest cost would bring New Zealand’s import policy closer to the standards Kiwis expect, farmers deserve, and animals need.

New Zealanders are willing to pay as much as 19% more for higher animal welfare. A 2023 survey of New Zealand consumer attitudes to consumption of meat and meat alternatives found that consumers indicated willingness to pay 19% more above the price they normally pay for higher animal welfare, significantly higher than the modelled impact of this policy.

How did we get to $0.25 per person per week?

The estimate draws on six independent studies covering both transitions away from sow stall and farrowing crate systems for mother pigs. For sow stalls: a 2011 US analysis, a New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture assessment, and modelling from California's Proposition 12. For farrowing crates: an EU 2024 study, a UK 2020 industry analysis, and a further EU 2023 assessment.

To arrive at the estimate, we looked at what share of New Zealand's imported pork is likely to come from sow stall and farrowing crate systems, and how much it typically costs producers to transition away from them. We then applied those cost estimates to New Zealand's actual import quantities. 

Imported pork makes up around 62% of what Kiwis consume, the majority of which is estimated to come from sow stall and farrowing crate systems. Across all six studies, the additional cost per person ranges from $0.07 to $0.66 per week, with $0.25 as the central estimate. This is well below current meat price inflation, which already exceeds 5%.

Supply chains are well placed to adapt

To put these figures in context, most major exporters already produce far more welfare-compliant pork than they send to New Zealand, making price shocks unlikely. 

For example, the US produces 176 times more sow stall-free pork than it exports here, Canada 39 times more, Spain 94 times, Australia 70 times. Very little additional supply growth is needed to meet New Zealand's requirements.

Exporting countries’ capacity vs export volume to NZ

Vision into Action: Applying New Zealand’s Animal Welfare Standard to Imports

Why Kiwis see the value of this policy

While the cost of this policy to consumers is minimal, its value is significant. 

A consistent import policy would ensure that animals are not kept in conditions Kiwis have already decided are unacceptable, simply in order to be shipped over and sold here. It would allow Kiwi farmers to operate on a level playing field. Consumers would have their expectations for consistent standards met. 

New Zealanders already indicate a willingness to pay 19% more for higher-welfare products, and over 80% support applying domestic welfare standards to imports, even when told it may increase prices.

By any measure, the value of this policy vastly exceeds its price tag.

For the full price analysis, read our report  Vision into Action: Applying Animal Welfare Standards in Import Policy. All underlying data is available here.