WASHINGTON—Today, the nation's largest animal protection organization announced another success in the effort to improve the lives of farm animals. The University of Iowa (UI) has announced that in the spring semester it will begin a pilot program using cage-free eggs in its dining halls, a move that The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) praised as a positive step for animal welfare.
The UI pilot program will focus on using liquid eggs in Hillcrest and Burge residence halls as well as in the Iowa Memorial Union, the UI's student union. Those dining facilities use the equivalent of approximately 160 dozen eggs in liquid form each week.
Initially, the UI is contracting with Farmers Hen House of Kalona for the eggs. Depending on demand and prices, other vendors may also be used. Ryan Miller, who operates Farmers Hen House, is a UI alum and a current graduate student at the university.
The HSUS provided the UI with information on egg producers that do not use battery cages. Paul Shapiro, HSUS factory farming campaign manager, said, "University of Iowa has taken a very positive step for animal welfare by reducing the number of battery cage eggs it uses. We applaud its efforts and encourage other schools to follow suit."
The university's consideration of a cage-free egg policy has attracted support from the UI student government president, the Daily Iowan, the independent newspaper run by UI-students, a number of student and community groups, and individual faculty, graduate student instructors, students, and alumni.
"This is a landmark decision that matches the University of Iowa and its students' commitment to sustainability and humane practices in food distribution with our considerable resources," commented Mark Kresowik, UI student government president.
The UI joins a growing list of schools that have ended or reduced their use of eggs from caged birds. Dozens of schools have enacted policies to eliminate or greatly reduce the use of eggs from caged hens, including Grinnell College, Northwestern College, University of Rochester, George Washington University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and American University.
In the United States, approximately 95 percent of eggs sold come from hens confined in barren "battery cages," wire enclosures so small the birds can't even spread their wings or engage in many other natural behaviors, such as nesting, foraging, perching, and dust bathing. The cages are stacked one on top of another inside huge warehouses on factory farms. Each bird is afforded less space than a single sheet of paper on which to live, leading to extremely high levels of stress and frustration.
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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization with 9.5 million members and constituents. The HSUS is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals and equine protection, wildlife and habitat protection, animals in research, and farm animal welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through education, investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy, and field work. The non-profit organization is based in Washington and has field representatives across the country. On the web at hsus.org.
