Farmed
Animal Watch
A Project of Animal Place
May 29, 2002
(To Search This Page Press Ctrl F)
Issue #70
CONTENTS
1. McDonald's Rejects Bid for Higher Foreign Welfare Standards
2. Dairy Industry Benefits from Farm Bill
3. Chronic Wasting Disease
4. Farm Workers Uncomfortable With Killing
5. Chickens Viciously Massacred at Slaughterplant
6. Upcoming Events: World Pork Expo, Livestock Care Conference
7. Newsletter of Note: Policy Bites
1. McDONALD'S REJECTS BID FOR HIGHER FOREIGN
WELFARE STANDARDS
McDonald's shareholders overwhelmingly rejected a resolution to extend
animal-welfare reforms made in U.S. and U.K. operations to all McDonald's
franchises, including Canada. The initiative was put forth by PETA and
Trillium Asset Management, a Boston-based investment firm. The 4% vote it did
receive will enable PETA and Trillium to submit the same resolution next year.
McDonald's had argued against the legitimacy of the resolution but, based in
part on documentation it received about Canada's lower standards, the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission ruled in favor of the resolution being put
to a vote.
McDonald's director of social responsibility
called the initiative unnecessary since the company's program is global. The
company's web sites, however, indicate that Canada's standards are
significantly lower than those in the U.S. The Canadian site only states that
audits will be done on "key beef suppliers" (with no mention of
severing ties with slaughterplants that don't comply with federal standards),
and that minimum cage standards for egg-laying hens will be increased to 72
square inches. A 1999 independent audit of Canadian slaughterplants showed
that only 60% of the inspected plants met federal standards.
2. DAIRY INDUSTRY BENEFITS FROM FARM BILL
The dairy industry stands to benefit from the recently passed Farm Bill. The
bill establishes a minimum price dairy operations will receive for milk.
Direct government payments will help operators withstand market price
fluctuations. One analyst explains that, like the rest of the Farm Bill, the
dairy program was about buying votes for the 2002 congressional elections and
the 2004 presidential race. As a result, certain states stand to benefit much
more than others. Up to 2.4 million pounds of milk per operation will be
subsidized annually. This is equivalent to the amount produced by a herd of
100-150 cows, so larger operations will receive subsidies on only a portion of
their output. The payments could result in an annual increase of 1.2 billion
pounds of milk. This is less than 1% of the amount produced in the U.S., and
would have little impact on market prices. Taxpayers may pay pennies less for
milk, butter and cheese but may ultimately pay up to $1.8 billion for the
program.
3. CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a type of transmissible spongiform
encephalopathy (TSE), similar to "mad-cow disease," which is known
to affect deer and elk. It was first identified in U.S. deer in 1967 and
initially was only found among captive animals. Even after its discovery, deer
from affected ranches were released into the wild. In 1981, wild deer were
found to be infected. It was later discovered in elk, and the elk trade gave
the disease a new way to spread. In1996, CWD turned up on a commercial elk
farm in Saskatchewan, Canada. By 1999 elk-breeding operations in 4 U.S. states
had infected animals. There are an estimated 160,000 elk in captivity on 2,300
ranches in the U.S. and Canada. Since 1998, 4,432 elk have been killed after
having been exposed to the disease, which has an incubation period of 2-3
years.
Initially, CWD was limited to certain western
states. Its recent detection in Wisconsin has caused alarm over how far the
disease may have spread in wild populations. (It has not been found among
ranched animals there.) Officials in some states are particularly concerned
with the potential impact on the multi-million-dollar hunting industries. Some
studies suggest CWD could theoretically infect people but there is evidence of
a substantial species barrier. Five peculiar human cases of TSE, all involving
people who had consumed elk or deer, have been investigated but no strong
evidence of a causal link to CWD has been found. These articles consider the
possible risk to people, the improbability of containing the disease, and the
funds being sought and spent to address it.
"‘Chronic wasting disease' spreads to
eight U.S. states," The Wall Street Journal, Antonio Regalado, May 24,
2002.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/756702.asp?cp1=1
"Mad Deer Epidemic?" National Review, James A. Swan, May 23, 2002.
http://www.nationalreview.com/swan/swan052302.asp
"Two bills in Congress target chronic wasting disease," Associated
Press, Robert Gehrke, May 23, 2002.
http://www.gazetteextra.com/gundeer-cwd-bills052302.html
4. FARM WORKERS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH KILLING
In a North Carolina State University survey of job satisfaction among farm
workers, pig farrowing managers reported the greatest dissatisfaction (31%).
The researchers surmised that this is partly due to their job requirement of
killing many "poor-doing" piglets. They believe part of the aversion
people have to killing animals is because they transfer their fear and the
unpleasantness they associate with the death of a human to the death of
an animal. Some workers suffer psychological distress when asked to kill
animals. Those who are constantly and reluctantly exposed to it can become
careless and callous in handling animals. Laboratory technicians are
reportedly more comfortable gassing animals rather than killing them by
cervical dislocation due to the greater dissociation from the animals' death.
Pig operation managers said they would prefer to be able to use chemical
injections rather than the physical methods currently in use. "We are
limited to methods that act through mechanisms of direct neuronal depression,
disruption of brain activity, and hypoxia [lack of oxygen] to cause rapid
unconsciousness and humane death," explained one of the researchers.
5. CHICKENS VICIOUSLY MASSACRED AT SLAUGHTERPLANT
Workers at a Puerto Rican slaughterplant were videotaped beating some 76,000
chickens to death with metal tubes and baseball bats. Other chickens were left
to suffocate inside a container truck parked in the scorching sun. The Animal
Protection Society issued a statement urging the public to take cages to the
plant to rescue the birds and prevent the cruel slaughter. A broadcast of the
tape has prompted animal protection advocates, officials and politicians to
call for an end to the brutal practice. A request has also been made for an
investigation by the legislature's agricultural commission. An executive with
the plant said they would cease killing chickens in this way "which
offends the sensibility of our people." However, he defended the order to
kill the birds "because they did not come up to the high standards of
quality which we demand." In the future, unwanted birds are to have their
necks wrung.
6. UPCOMING EVENTS: WORLD PORK EXPO, LIVESTOCK CARE CONFERENCE
The World Pork Expo will be held in Des Moines, Iowa from June 6-8th. Free
educational seminars will be held on such topics as pig welfare, maximizing
productivity, and the Trucker Quality Assurance (TQA) program. A question and
answer session will follow each seminar. An environmental education center
will offer information on regulatory issues. Admission is $8/day for adults.
For the schedule and additional information visit: http://www.worldpork.org
Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) will be hosting
a Livestock Care Conference in Edmonton on June 25th. The day will consist of
half-hour sessions on such topics as research, genetics, housing, and
transportation. The second half of the day will be devoted to Canadian
responses to welfare standards emanating from major food retailers in the U.S.
Registration is $70. The full schedule and contact information can be accessed
at: http://www.afac.ab.ca/LCC/LCC2002.htm
7. NEWSLETTER OF NOTE: POLICY BITES
The Center for Informed Food Choices (CIFC) is a nonprofit organization intent
on providing people with reliable resources and practical, hands-on
instruction on how to incorporate more whole, plant-based foods into their
diets for optimum health. CIFC publishes "Policy Bites," a monthly
newsletter chockful of a variety of interesting news from a diversity of
sources. The free publication can be subscribed to or viewed on the Center's
web site at: http://www.InformedEating.org
