Berkeley City Council Passes Resolution Opposing One of Factory Farming's Worst Abuses

WASHINGTON - Last night, the Berkeley, Calif., City Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing one of the most notorious factory farming practices: the intensive confinement of egg-laying hens in tiny wire battery cages.

The resolution states that the council "opposes battery cage egg production, based on the inherent cruelty of confining egg-laying hens in battery cages," and further "encourages consumers of eggs not to purchase eggs produced by caged hens."

Berkeley Councilmember Dona Spring introduced the resolution. She stated, "Cramming egg-laying hens inside tiny cages is cruel and inhumane. Berkeley has long been a leader in issues of social responsibility, and I'm proud that it has become a leader in the growing movement away from one of the worst factory farm abuses. As a child, growing up on a farm, I enjoyed interacting with the chickens. They were allowed to freely scratch for grains we threw out for them in the yard of the chicken coop. There was no need to cage them, as they always went to the chicken coop to sleep and lay eggs at night. We had a symbiotic relationship—we gave them grains and a place to take shelter and in return they gave us eggs."

The Humane Society of the United States, the nation's largest animal protection organization, praised the Berkeley City Council for speaking out on such an important animal cruelty issue.

Paul Shapiro, director of the factory farming campaign for The HSUS, stated, "The Berkeley City Council has sent a clear message: the egg industry should improve its abysmal animal welfare record, starting with a move toward cage-free production systems."

In the Bay Area alone, a number of retailers including Andronico's and Whole Foods have ended their sale of eggs from caged hens. And UC Berkeley, SF State, and University of San Francisco join more than 150 other schools across the country in ending or greatly reducing their use of eggs from caged hens.

Facts

·  U.S. factory farms confine nearly 300 million hens in barren battery cages that are so small, the birds can't even spread their wings. Each bird has less space than a single sheet of paper on which to live. The European Union has banned barren battery cages, effective 2012.

·  There is a snowballing national movement against battery cages. Wolfgang Puck is ending his use of cage eggs. Burger King is beginning to use cage-free eggs. Several grocery chains, including Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace, have stopped selling cage eggs. Companies such as AOL and Google have ended the use of cage eggs in their employee cafeterias.

·  Other municipalities in Maryland, California and Florida have condemned battery cage confinement.

·  Cage-free hens generally have better lives than birds confined in battery cages. While caging is not the only animal welfare problem in the egg industry, it is a significant cause of laying hen suffering. Cage-free hens generally have approximately 250-300 percent more space per bird and are able to engage in more of their natural behaviors than are caged hens.

Timeline

·  April 2007—Food service provider Chartwells announces that it is phasing in the exclusive use of cage-free shell eggs for 45 of the schools it serves.

·  March 2007—Burger King announces that it has started phasing in the use of cage-free eggs in its North American locations.

·  March 2007—Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck announces that he will no longer use eggs from caged hens.

·  March 2007—New Port Richey, Fla., unanimously passes a bill condemning battery cages and encouraging egg consumers not to purchase eggs from caged hens.

·  January 2007—West Hollywood, Calif., unanimously passes a bill condemning battery cages and encouraging egg consumers not to purchase eggs from caged hens.

·  October 2006—Albany-based Andronico's announces that it has ended sales of eggs from caged hens.

·  October 2006—Takoma Park, Md., unanimously passes a bill condemning battery cages and encouraging egg consumers not to purchase eggs from caged hens.

·  September 2006—Ben & Jerry's announces that it will phase out the use of eggs from caged hens in all its ice creams.

·  May 2006—California-based Google implements an exclusively cage-free egg policy for its employee dining facilities.

·  October 2005—California-based Bon Appétit Management Company announces that it is phasing out the use of eggs from caged hens in all of its 400 cafés.

·  May 2005—Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace announce that they have ended sales of eggs from caged hens.

·  November 2003—The Better Business Bureau rules that it is misleading to label eggs from battery-caged hens as "Animal Care Certified."

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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization—backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty—on the web at www.HumaneSociety.org.