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BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - Proposition 12 in California requires pork sellers to designate a minimum amount of floor space for breeding pigs.

According to Dr. Jodi Sterle from the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State, it has pork producers scrambling to accommodate.

“Prices have been very low over the past year,” she said. “Producers have been losing money.”

The swine industry navigated several issues over the past year, including labor shortages, and low prices, she said.

“When we couple that with trying to meet the new requirements to market hogs into California with Proposition 12,” she said, “allowing 24 square feet for every sow – gestating sow, not farrowing – that has implications of potentially decreasing the overall sow herd.”

It’s the result of a statewide initiative in which Californians voted to require sows to have more room when gestating.

“California is a ballot-initiative state,” she said. “That means citizens can get enough signatures and enough support to get anything on a ballot.”

Pork producers tried to fight the proposition, but the Supreme Court ruled states could pass laws to protect the health and welfare of animals.

Dr. Sterle says animal welfare is already at the forefront of producers’ minds.

“Pork remains a safe, valuable part of our food supply. Today’s producers are using science and technology to meet the demands of the consumer, while also providing and caring for not only the animal, but the communities, and also, the people who work for them, as well as the environment.”