On May 26, California’s Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) published its proposed regulations to implement the 2018 voter ballot initiative, Proposition 12. Proposition 12 included a requirement that breeding sows and gilts be housed in enclosures with a minimum of 24 square feet per hog beginning Jan. 1, 2022. In addition to regulating hog farms within the state, the effect of Proposition 12 will extend far beyond California’s borders. The law requires that much of the pork sold in the state be derived from hogs that meet the housing requirements.
Enforcing the law will require significant recordkeeping requirements on the part of retailers, distributors, processors, packers and farmers who want to produce pork for the California market. It will also require CDFA to establish a registration and certification program to monitor compliance. The proposed regulations address many of the details.