Turning the Tide for Farm Animals |
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May 5, 2007
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©The HSUS |
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Farm animals suffer the worst cruelties, but the tide is turning in their favor. |
By Paul Shapiro
Of all the ways in which we exploit animals, none compares to animal agribusiness in terms of the number of animals involved. As a nation, we raise and kill roughly 10 billion land animals for food every year, representing approximately 95 percent of all of the animals we use in the United States.
Farm animals are among the most abused—and most ignored—in our society. The trend for the past 60 years has been to cram more and more of these animals into harsher confinement operations. But due in large part to the efforts of farm animal campaigns in the animal protection movement, we are finally seeing our societal attitudes about farm animals begin to mature.
This month's Gourmet magazine features a cover story on the importance of vegetarian eating. The magazine's editor writes that "it is now becoming increasingly clear that we ought to change our ways," and discusses the animal welfare, environmental and health problems associated with our current levels of animal consumption.
In the last year, we've also made significant progress in gaining farm animals at least some protection from the worst abuses they face.
Things To Crow About
Animal advocates banned gestation crates in landslide votes in Florida (2002) and Arizona (2006)—which is also now the first state to ban veal crates. California is phasing out the production and sale of foie gras. Chicago banned the sale of foie gras solely on ethical grounds. Major retailers—from high-end chefs such as Wolfgang Puck to fast food chains such as Burger King—are moving away from some of the worst factory farming cruelties.
We've even seen agribusiness giants such as Smithfield Foods (the largest pig producer in the United States) bow to consumer concerns and begin phasing out the most abusive confinement systems.
In 2007, more state legislatures are considering bills to ban factory farming abuses than at any time in history. More than a dozen pending state bills address issues from battery cages to foie gras to gestation crates. And city councils in Florida, Maryland and California have all recently passed unanimous resolutions condemning the confinement of laying hens in battery cages.
Momentum for Farm Animals
For years, American animal advocates have lamented how far behind Europe we are when it comes to farm animal protection, but it's clear that we are now at a societal tipping point on the issue. It's hard to count how often mainstream media outlets have commented recently that farm animal protection concerns have moved from the fringe to the mainstream. This movement is not only winning victories every month, but also achieving a level of change that few of us would have thought realistic just a decade ago.
There's still a long way to go, but the fact that farm animals' interests are even being given the most minimal consideration is a critical, historic step in the right direction.
All of this progress doesn't mean that we can rest on our laurels, of course. The societal shift from eating larger to smaller animals has meant that an increasing number of animals are being raised and killed for food annually. Most of the worst abuses we force on animals are still legal in most of the country. The plight of farm animals remains dire and the universe of animal suffering is still unfathomably large.
But the longest journey begins with a single step. With the animal movement taking an increasingly pragmatic and results-driven approach, we've certainly taken many impressive steps for farm animals in recent years, steps that we ought to be celebrating.
What You Can Do
Please ask your representative to co-sponsor the Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act, a bill that could make federal purchases of meat, eggs and milk less abusive to farm animals.
Paul Shapiro is the director of The HSUS' Factory Farming Campaign.
See the Video
Battery-Cage Eggs
Confinement by Crate
Related Links
About Farm Animals and Factory Farming
Victories
The Dirty Six: The Worst Practices in Agribusiness
An HSUS Report: The Welfare of Animals in the Meat, Egg, and Dairy Industries
Force-Fed Abuse
The HSUS's Campaign to Ban Battery Cages
Think Outside the Crate Campaign
The HSUS Guide to Vegetarian Eating
