Sainsbury’s has teamed up with meat supplier Cranswick in a multi-million-pound, 10-year deal aimed at setting new standards in pig welfare.

The long-term partnership will see Sainsbury’s source all its British pork, including sausages, premium bacon and gammon, and cooked meats, through the UK meat producer.

The supermarket said the partnership is designed to elevate welfare standards of the Sainsbury’s British pork range beyond industry-recommended Red Tractor pork standards, while still ensuring great value for customers.

Sainsbury’s said it expects to invest £50m to implement these new high standards by 2030, with an additional £11m being invested by Cranswick to build new sheds and housing for the pigs, bringing the potential total to £61m.

The investment will be directed to building flexible farrowing accommodation, such as the area where pigs are housed during the birthing process, which is aimed to provide extra space for sows and piglets.

Elsewhere, the partnership will also see the introduction of AI technology, which allows for 24/7 monitoring of the animals to provide improvements to welfare.

The grocery retailer said the initiative will be made possible by British farmers working for Sainsbury’s and Cranswick under the Sainsbury’s Pork Producer Group, which contains 170 pork farmers.

Both Sainsbury’s and Cranswick added that the partnership aims to offer consumers Taste the Difference pork that meets net zero by 2029 and BySainsbury’s fresh pork that meets net zero by 2030.

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It is understood the retailer’s Taste the Difference pork will remain RSPCA Assured standard, which it has been for 17 years.

Sainsbury’s chief commercial officer Rhian Barlett said: “This ten-year partnership with Cranswick means that we are able to place a bigger focus on animal welfare, financial security for our farmers and sustainable production of our pork range; all while protecting value for customers.

“Over the next 10 years we, in partnership with Cranswick and the farmers in the Sainsbury’s Pork Producer Group, hope to better prepare ourselves for unforeseen knocks such as price shocks and climate concerns. There is an ever-evolving relationship between retailers, farmers, and processors but we hope this news serves as a good example of what is possible when people come together in the food system.”

Cranswick chief commercial officer Jim Brisby added: “The partnership provides a secure supply chain that is fit for the future, facilitating improved welfare standards, delivery of our joint sustainability targets and a fair return to over 170 valued farmers.

“This long-term contract will also give us the confidence to continue to invest in our farms, processing factories and people, to deliver the highest quality, technical standards and innovation to support Sainsbury’s in the provision of good food.”

In 2024, Sainsbury’s became the first UK retailer to launch an egg farming group, dubbed the  Sainsbury’s Egg Group, as it vowed to support egg farmers and protect the future supply of the product.