The founder of outdoors company Kathmandu is behind a new fund aimed at highlighting animal cruelty on farms.

Jan Cameron has put two million dollars into the Animal Justice Fund, which will focus on pig and chicken farming practices and push for prosecutions in animal abuse cases.

The fund is being administered by animal welfare group SAFE.

Spokesperson Hans Kriek says two million dollars is just the start.

“$2m will help, but it won’t be the end solution. Jan Cameron has made it very clear that she is going to stick with this, and when the money runs out there will be more, so how this pans out financially, it’s hard to say.”

The fund will also provide rewards of up to $30,000 for information from farm workers who expose animal cruelty cases that lead to prosecution.

PORK BOARD PLEASED WITH AUDIT

One of the main targets of the Animal Justice Fund – the pork industry – has just completed what it’s calling a successful audit of its farms.

The Pork Industry Board assessed 123 farms for accreditation under the PigCare label, a new scheme which requires farmers to meet improved industry standards.

New Zealand Pork chief executive Sam McIvor says farmers responded well to the audit process.

“Farmers have put up their hands to be open about what they’re doing and to be put in the spotlight. So it is pleasing, and good for consumers as well, who have said ‘Look, we just want to know that you’re looking after your pigs.'"

Critics of the new label say it will do little to improve pig farming practices, as it still allows for the use of the controversial sow and farrowing crates.

There are plans to phase the crates out, but Sam McIvor says the accreditation rules won’t be changing any time soon.

"The industry is committed to be down to using sow stalls for the first four weeks during pregnancy.

"For the code, though, they probably won’t come into play until late 2012, so for those kind of things there will be a timeline worked out.”