We Care Initiative

We Care is a joint initiative developed in 2009 by the National Pork Board and the National Pork Producers Council as a platform to demonstrate our industry's commitment to responsible production. As pork production evolves, producers want consumers to know that our industry's changing infrastructure has led to improved protocols, better safeguards and advanced technologies that make U.S. pork a safe and nutritious product without sacrificing public trust. These advancements are a reflection of an industry culture with a long-standing dedication to 'doing what's right!'

What Does It Involve?

We Care is a signed commitment by the producer to fulfill five steps of responsible production. These requirements include:

Uphold Ethical Principles Every Day

These ethical principles are an affirmation to a producer's everyday practices and a foundation onto which they should make decisions in their daily operation. To see a list of these principles, click here.

Obtain PQA Plus Certification

Pork Quality Assurance Plus reviews the top 10 Good Production Practices recognized by the pork industry. Producers can only receive certification by attending training from a certified PQA Plus advisor every 3 years.

Register for Premise ID

This ID is obtained through the National Animal Identification System, a national disease response network, administered by the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. It is a unique 7-character number that can be used in a disease outbreak to track it back to its point of origin.

Schedule A PQA Plus Site Assessment

This component of the PQA Plus program allows an advisor to assess a producer's farm for animal welfare improvements. Once complete, these assessments are entered into a random pool for 3^rd party audit and must be redone every 3 years.

Complete TQA Certification

Transport Quality Assurance teaches truckers and producers how to handle, move and transport swine safely. Producers can only receive certification by attending training from a certified TQA advisor every 3 years.

Wakefield Pork's Commitment to We Care

We Care encapsulates a number of programs that Wakefield Pork has maintained with its employees for years. We feel strongly about the quality of information these programs share with our producers and employees. It is a requirement that all sites associated with Wakefield Pork have a National Premises ID and anyone that handles the animals maintain active PQA and TQA certificates.

Wakefield's commitment to uphold the Ethical Principles of We Care are demonstrated in the Grass Roots and WPI Cares sections of this website. Check it out!