Arkansas Agriculture — Edition 29
Change Language:
Farm Bureau Perspective
Politics makes for strange bedfellows, the old saying goes, and the recent introduction of legislation that changes the game for the nation’s egg producers may be the strangest union I’ve ever seen.
The Egg Products Inspection Act Amendments of 2012 – introduced in late Jan. by U.S. Reps Kurt Schrader (Ore.), Jeff Denman (Calif.), Elton Gallegly (Calif.) And Sam Farr (Calif.) – has the joint backing of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the United Egg Producers (UEP). Strange bedfellows, to say the least.
HSUS, contrary to its highly polished commercial image designed to generate millions in donations in the name of pet safety and security, is a radical animal rights group whose objective is to put animal agriculture out of business. Their tactics are threatening, and their playbook filled with deceptive (though admittedly effective) strategies. HSUS is not; repeat NOT, your local humane shelter. Your local humane shelters actually perform those needed acts of pet security and safety and are worthy of our financial support. Meanwhile, HSUS works on ways to systematically eliminate animal agriculture.
The proposed legislation would set national requirements on cage size, limitations on animal density and would ban a number of proven, sciencebased egg production methods. The bill ignores the consensus of mainstream agricultural veterinarians, animal scientists and livestock producers.
It also sets a dangerous precedent that some egg producers, along with national pork and cattle groups, approach with great hesitation. I have no doubt that HSUS will use this as a first step to federal legislation that impacts more than just egg production and will put more and more restrictions on livestock production. It also would set mandated animal care standards based on the political goals of an animal rights group. I’ve listened to both sides of this debate. I have talked to egg producers and those who work for the egg companies. I just can’t answer the question of ‘why?’ when considering the political union between HSUS and UEP.
Obviously, eggs are an important source of protein and a regular part of many people’s day. Farmers, as we all know, have a responsibility to produce eggs with professional care for their animals, while being effective stewards of the land and understanding their critical role in food safety.
Far be it from me to sound like Chicken Little (“The sky is falling. The sky is falling.”), but allowing HSUS to be involved in creating legislation that mandates how farmers and ranchers raise animals is a dangerous and unprecedented development. Ignoring years of proven science is possibly even more hazardous.
The correct thing for the U.S. House of Representatives to do is vote down the proposed legislation. Then UEP, which purports to represent ownership of 95 percent of the nation’s egg production, can engage the people who work with farm animals daily – meaning veterinarians, animal scientists and livestock producers – not HSUS. When that happens, any proposed legislation that would come from that group could be viewed with credibility.
The Egg Products Inspection Act Amendments of 2012 – introduced in late Jan. by U.S. Reps Kurt Schrader (Ore.), Jeff Denman (Calif.), Elton Gallegly (Calif.) And Sam Farr (Calif.) – has the joint backing of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the United Egg Producers (UEP). Strange bedfellows, to say the least.
HSUS, contrary to its highly polished commercial image designed to generate millions in donations in the name of pet safety and security, is a radical animal rights group whose objective is to put animal agriculture out of business. Their tactics are threatening, and their playbook filled with deceptive (though admittedly effective) strategies. HSUS is not; repeat NOT, your local humane shelter. Your local humane shelters actually perform those needed acts of pet security and safety and are worthy of our financial support. Meanwhile, HSUS works on ways to systematically eliminate animal agriculture.
The proposed legislation would set national requirements on cage size, limitations on animal density and would ban a number of proven, sciencebased egg production methods. The bill ignores the consensus of mainstream agricultural veterinarians, animal scientists and livestock producers.
It also sets a dangerous precedent that some egg producers, along with national pork and cattle groups, approach with great hesitation. I have no doubt that HSUS will use this as a first step to federal legislation that impacts more than just egg production and will put more and more restrictions on livestock production. It also would set mandated animal care standards based on the political goals of an animal rights group. I’ve listened to both sides of this debate. I have talked to egg producers and those who work for the egg companies. I just can’t answer the question of ‘why?’ when considering the political union between HSUS and UEP.
Obviously, eggs are an important source of protein and a regular part of many people’s day. Farmers, as we all know, have a responsibility to produce eggs with professional care for their animals, while being effective stewards of the land and understanding their critical role in food safety.
Far be it from me to sound like Chicken Little (“The sky is falling. The sky is falling.”), but allowing HSUS to be involved in creating legislation that mandates how farmers and ranchers raise animals is a dangerous and unprecedented development. Ignoring years of proven science is possibly even more hazardous.
The correct thing for the U.S. House of Representatives to do is vote down the proposed legislation. Then UEP, which purports to represent ownership of 95 percent of the nation’s egg production, can engage the people who work with farm animals daily – meaning veterinarians, animal scientists and livestock producers – not HSUS. When that happens, any proposed legislation that would come from that group could be viewed with credibility.
Message