1. Pace Farm Is Targeted with Recent Repeat Raids
2. The History & Future of the Farmed Animal Welfare Movement
3. Cow Comfort
4. Trucker Quality Assurance Program
5. "Pork Production Technician" Certification
6. Alberta "Livestock Care Conference" Proceedings
7. Farming and Food Resources:
A. Global Impacts of the Spread of Industrial Agriculture
B. Nature Offers Sustainable Agriculture Information & Reporting
C. Food, Glorious Food
8. Upcoming Events
A. Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm And Group Level
B. 11th European Poultry Conference
C. Future Trends in Animal Agriculture
D. International Forum for Genetic Engineering
E. A 2-day Poultry Welfare Symposium
F. Animal Biotechnology Symposiums
G. World Farm Animals Day
1. PACE FARM IS TARGETED WITH RECENT REPEAT RAIDS
Animal Liberation Victoria (ALV [Australia]) is continuing its campaign against PACE Farm's plan to build the largest egg operation in the Southern Hemisphere (see back issue #25). In addition to soliciting letters of objection to the government and generating media attention about it, ALV recently made a half-dozen clandestine visits to the existing operations to document conditions and remove hens. Details and graphic photographs of each visit can be found at: http://www.openrescue.org/rescues/200207/2002_07.html
"Please Help!" PACE Farm Update, Animal Liberation Victoria, June 19, 2002.
http://www.alv.org.au/storyarchive/0206pacefarm/0206pacefarm.htm
"Truss opens first stage of the largest egg facility in the Southern Hemisphere," Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry media release, May 22, 2002.
http://www.affa.gov.au/ministers/truss/releases/02/02116wt.html
2. THE HISTORY & FUTURE OF THE FARMED ANIMAL WELFARE MOVEMENT
The effect Ruth Harrison's 1964 book "Animal Machines" has had on bringing about change for farmed animals in the U.K., the E.U., Canada and the U.S. is the topic of this article. The original "Five Freedoms" are listed, and prospects for the future are briefly discussed.
"Consumer Driven Animal Production," Pork News and Views, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Tina Widowski and Penny Lawlis, July/August 2002.
http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/livestock/swine/news/julaug02.htm#consumerdriven
3. COW COMFORT
A veterinarian with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food advises that more emphasis should be put on housing and less on confinement for the health, comfort and longevity of cows. He warns that confinement housing may result in unfamiliarity with normal cow behavior and unawareness of abnormal behavior displays. Dr. Anderson describes injuries and fear that cows may exhibit due to problematic facilities. Six freedoms are listed that cows should have in order for them to be able to rest in normal positions. The article mentions that productivity alone is not a measure of welfare. Noting that it's difficult to change the beliefs of those who are accustomed to restricting cow freedom, managers are urged to change a few stalls and observe the results.
"6 Cow Comfort Clues," Dairy Times, Shannon Linderoth, July 10, 2002.
http://www.directag.com/directag/news/article.jhtml?article_id=1007568
4. TRUCKER QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM
The National Pork Board (NPB) is offering a 2-hour "Trucker Quality Assurance (TQA)" program. Topics include pig behavior, handling, transport and biosecurity. A trucker who scores 90% on a written test receives an identifying truck sticker. An NPB spokesperson notes "The reality is that TQA certification will eventually be required for truckers -including producers- to haul pigs to most, if not all, of the nation's leading pork packers." This program is said to comprise the third "leg" of industry's quality control "stool," the other "legs" being government inspection of packers and customer specifications of handling standards for their suppliers. The article describes pig characteristics, causes and symptoms of stress, and "slows, which are exhausted animals that can barely go on." It also describes how to prevent aggressive handling, noting that "Proper animal handling is the right thing to do - it's the only thing to do."
"TQA Completes the Three-Legged Stool," Pork Magazine, Marlys Miller, July 7, 2002.
http://www.porkmag.com/archives/article.ihtml?id=1353
5. "PORK PRODUCTION TECHNICIAN" CERTIFICATION
Individuals can now become certified as "pork production technicians" through a 2-year training program in Manitoba, Canada. People working in pig production units can qualify for the program, which involves a day of classes every month or two, home study, teleconferencing and practical experience. Pig production, basic husbandry, biosecurity, health, breeding, farrowing, nursery and "finishing" (fattening) are covered. The program is offered through the province's Apprenticeship and Trades Qualification Board. Notes a spokesperson, "We're trying to look at it the same as any other trade, whether it be carpentry or electrician (sic)."
"First Pork Production Technicians Receive Journeyperson Certification," Farmscape News, Melanie Couture, August 19, 2002.
http://www.farmscape.ca/FSA_showarchive.asp?id=1331
6. ALBERTA "LIVESTOCK CARE CONFERENCE" PROCEEDINGS
A summary of the Alberta "Livestock Care Conference 2002" is now available on the Internet. The June 25th Edmonton event attracted about 225 participants. Topics included: Applying the 3 R's to Farm Animal Management, Improved Tracking Procedures for Cattle, Livestock Transportation in Alberta, Poultry Selection Criteria: Is This Industry Sustainable?, Farm Animal Housing: Time for Change, Global Animal Welfare Standards, Codes and Standards, and Producer Initiatives Driving Change. Presentations were made by government officials, academicians, industry representatives, an industry consultant, and a farmed animal advocate. Presentations were also made by representatives from Burger King, Safeway and IBP.
Some of the interesting points contained in the 18-page summary include the following: half a million pigs and nearly as many cattle traveled from Alberta into the U.S. in 2001, some journeying up to 1700 miles in diverse climates; a report on farmed animal transport in Alberta will soon be available; chickens used for breeding are increasingly being feed restricted each year; In every country except Switzerland it is acceptable to keep farmed animals in less space than their body area; The cost of banning sow stalls would be about 5% with a difference at the retail level of about 1%; Burger King is "nowhere near ready" to audit animal production practices and is still focusing on slaughterplants. There are Codes of Practice (voluntary) for farmed animal care and handling but some producers have never heard of them and most have never read them. In Australia, welfare standards for poultry have been turned into an accreditation program with the first welfare audits being conducted.
A "shocking" 8-minute video clip by PETA, portraying the abuse of pigs and chickens, was shown during the Safeway presentation. A note in the summary explained: "It elicited strong and varied responses from viewers at the conference. Some felt that it was horrific and should not have been shown, others felt we need to see what PETA distributes to the media and therefore was useful, and others were sickened that such abusive acts could be going on."
"Livestock Care Conference 2002," Alberta Farm Animal Care, June 25, 2002.
http://afac.ab.ca/LCC/LCC2002Summary.htm
7. FARMING AND FOOD RESOURCES
A. GLOBAL IMPACTS OF THE SPREAD OF INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE
Collating data on farmed animal production in developing countries and economic analysis from World Bank and UN reports, Compassion in World Farming has released a report on the impacts of the spread of industrialized agriculture to developing countries. "Detrimental Impacts of Industrial Animal Agriculture" concludes that the "livestock revolution" is impoverishing indigenous populations and reducing developing countries' ability to feed themselves. The report also explains that the overcrowded, poorly ventilated, dirty conditions animals are kept in result in the spread of antibiotic-resistant disease among the human population. It can be downloaded at http://www.ciwf.co.uk/pubs/ciwf_reports.htm (under "Sustainable Development"). An article on the report is part of an ongoing series of special reports on food available on The Guardian site.
"Factory Farming 'Spreading Disease Around the World,'" The Guardian, Felicity Lawrence, August 21, 2002.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/Story/0,2763,778054,00.html
B. NATURE OFFERS SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE INFORMATION & REPORTING
Nature, the preeminent weekly scientific journal, is making freely available on its web site a large collection of articles, commentary, and other materials concerning the sustainability of agriculture. The site will also report on news from the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development, which ends on September 4th.
"Science and Sustainable Development," Nature, August 22, 2002.
http://www.nature.com/nature/food/index.html
C. FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD
The Food and Nutrition Information Center is one of several information centers at the National Agriculture Library (NAL), part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Resources in the collection range from educational materials to scientific information and are appropriate for both consumers and health professionals. Information on the website is reviewed and updated by staff nutritionists on a continuing basis. An extensive section on vegetarian nutrition can be found at: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/etext/000058.html
Time Magazine reports that of its cover stories for the past 6 months, "Should You Be a Vegetarian" (see issue #75) received the most responses (653), second only to "The Bible & the Apocalypse" (970). This week's cover story examines dieting with a focus on low-fat vs low-carbohydrate diets at: http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020902/
8. UPCOMING EVENTS
A. ASSESSMENT OF ANIMAL WELFARE AT FARM AND GROUP LEVEL: International Workshop, Sept. 4-6th, Bristol, U.K. Hosted by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. http://www.vetschool.bristol.ac.uk/vets/events/waflrtf.html
B. 11TH EUROPEAN POULTRY CONFERENCE: September 6-10, 2002, Bremen, Germany. Hosted by the World Poultry Association. http://www.epc2002.de/
C. FUTURE TRENDS IN ANIMAL AGRICULTURE: A 1-day symposium, entitled "Standards for Food Animal Production: Status, Well-Being, and Social Responsibility," will be held on September 18, 2002 from 8:30 to 4 p.m. in Washington, D.C. The program schedule consists of speakers from industry, industry associations, and animal welfare organizations. The free event is primarily intended for congressional staffers and USDA decision makers but is open to the public. Advanced registration is required. Send name, affiliation, postal address, and e-mail address to David Brubaker at Dbrubak@aol.com or 145 South Spruce Street, Lititz, Pa., 17543.
D. INTERNATIONAL FORUM FOR GENETIC ENGINEERING: Focusing on the Intrinsic Value of Plants and Animals. September 18-21st, Edinburgh, Scotland. Hosted by Ifgene. http://www.anth.org/ifgene/2002.htm
E. A 2-DAY POULTRY WELFARE SYMPOSIUM will precede the International Egg Commission's Annual Production and Marketing Conference in Seville, Spain from September 20-26th. See: http://www.internationalegg.com/html/news/may_2002.html#02
F. ANIMAL BIOTECHNOLOGY SYMPOSIUMS: Two symposiums on biotechnology will be held by the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology and the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine from September 24-26th in Dallas, Tx. Registration is free but advanced registration is required. See: http://pewagbiotech.org/events/0924/
G. WORLD FARM ANIMALS DAY: 2002 will mark the 20th observance of WFAD, which takes place each year on October 2nd in honor of Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. "Taking the Slaughterhouse to the Street" is this year's theme, with vehicle-mounted televisions playing footage of factory farms and slaughterplants. Organizations and individuals throughout North America and 20 other countries are expected to participate in a variety of activities. Billboards and bus ads are also planned. Farm Animal Reform Movement is coordinating the events. To participate or see a listing of events by location visit: http://www.wfad.org
2. The History & Future of the Farmed Animal Welfare Movement
3. Cow Comfort
4. Trucker Quality Assurance Program
5. "Pork Production Technician" Certification
6. Alberta "Livestock Care Conference" Proceedings
7. Farming and Food Resources:
A. Global Impacts of the Spread of Industrial Agriculture
B. Nature Offers Sustainable Agriculture Information & Reporting
C. Food, Glorious Food
8. Upcoming Events
A. Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm And Group Level
B. 11th European Poultry Conference
C. Future Trends in Animal Agriculture
D. International Forum for Genetic Engineering
E. A 2-day Poultry Welfare Symposium
F. Animal Biotechnology Symposiums
G. World Farm Animals Day
1. PACE FARM IS TARGETED WITH RECENT REPEAT RAIDS
Animal Liberation Victoria (ALV [Australia]) is continuing its campaign against PACE Farm's plan to build the largest egg operation in the Southern Hemisphere (see back issue #25). In addition to soliciting letters of objection to the government and generating media attention about it, ALV recently made a half-dozen clandestine visits to the existing operations to document conditions and remove hens. Details and graphic photographs of each visit can be found at: http://www.openrescue.org/rescues/200207/2002_07.html
"Please Help!" PACE Farm Update, Animal Liberation Victoria, June 19, 2002.
http://www.alv.org.au/storyarchive/0206pacefarm/0206pacefarm.htm
"Truss opens first stage of the largest egg facility in the Southern Hemisphere," Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry media release, May 22, 2002.
http://www.affa.gov.au/ministers/truss/releases/02/02116wt.html
2. THE HISTORY & FUTURE OF THE FARMED ANIMAL WELFARE MOVEMENT
The effect Ruth Harrison's 1964 book "Animal Machines" has had on bringing about change for farmed animals in the U.K., the E.U., Canada and the U.S. is the topic of this article. The original "Five Freedoms" are listed, and prospects for the future are briefly discussed.
"Consumer Driven Animal Production," Pork News and Views, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Tina Widowski and Penny Lawlis, July/August 2002.
http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/livestock/swine/news/julaug02.htm#consumerdriven
3. COW COMFORT
A veterinarian with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food advises that more emphasis should be put on housing and less on confinement for the health, comfort and longevity of cows. He warns that confinement housing may result in unfamiliarity with normal cow behavior and unawareness of abnormal behavior displays. Dr. Anderson describes injuries and fear that cows may exhibit due to problematic facilities. Six freedoms are listed that cows should have in order for them to be able to rest in normal positions. The article mentions that productivity alone is not a measure of welfare. Noting that it's difficult to change the beliefs of those who are accustomed to restricting cow freedom, managers are urged to change a few stalls and observe the results.
"6 Cow Comfort Clues," Dairy Times, Shannon Linderoth, July 10, 2002.
http://www.directag.com/directag/news/article.jhtml?article_id=1007568
4. TRUCKER QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM
The National Pork Board (NPB) is offering a 2-hour "Trucker Quality Assurance (TQA)" program. Topics include pig behavior, handling, transport and biosecurity. A trucker who scores 90% on a written test receives an identifying truck sticker. An NPB spokesperson notes "The reality is that TQA certification will eventually be required for truckers -including producers- to haul pigs to most, if not all, of the nation's leading pork packers." This program is said to comprise the third "leg" of industry's quality control "stool," the other "legs" being government inspection of packers and customer specifications of handling standards for their suppliers. The article describes pig characteristics, causes and symptoms of stress, and "slows, which are exhausted animals that can barely go on." It also describes how to prevent aggressive handling, noting that "Proper animal handling is the right thing to do - it's the only thing to do."
"TQA Completes the Three-Legged Stool," Pork Magazine, Marlys Miller, July 7, 2002.
http://www.porkmag.com/archives/article.ihtml?id=1353
5. "PORK PRODUCTION TECHNICIAN" CERTIFICATION
Individuals can now become certified as "pork production technicians" through a 2-year training program in Manitoba, Canada. People working in pig production units can qualify for the program, which involves a day of classes every month or two, home study, teleconferencing and practical experience. Pig production, basic husbandry, biosecurity, health, breeding, farrowing, nursery and "finishing" (fattening) are covered. The program is offered through the province's Apprenticeship and Trades Qualification Board. Notes a spokesperson, "We're trying to look at it the same as any other trade, whether it be carpentry or electrician (sic)."
"First Pork Production Technicians Receive Journeyperson Certification," Farmscape News, Melanie Couture, August 19, 2002.
http://www.farmscape.ca/FSA_showarchive.asp?id=1331
6. ALBERTA "LIVESTOCK CARE CONFERENCE" PROCEEDINGS
A summary of the Alberta "Livestock Care Conference 2002" is now available on the Internet. The June 25th Edmonton event attracted about 225 participants. Topics included: Applying the 3 R's to Farm Animal Management, Improved Tracking Procedures for Cattle, Livestock Transportation in Alberta, Poultry Selection Criteria: Is This Industry Sustainable?, Farm Animal Housing: Time for Change, Global Animal Welfare Standards, Codes and Standards, and Producer Initiatives Driving Change. Presentations were made by government officials, academicians, industry representatives, an industry consultant, and a farmed animal advocate. Presentations were also made by representatives from Burger King, Safeway and IBP.
Some of the interesting points contained in the 18-page summary include the following: half a million pigs and nearly as many cattle traveled from Alberta into the U.S. in 2001, some journeying up to 1700 miles in diverse climates; a report on farmed animal transport in Alberta will soon be available; chickens used for breeding are increasingly being feed restricted each year; In every country except Switzerland it is acceptable to keep farmed animals in less space than their body area; The cost of banning sow stalls would be about 5% with a difference at the retail level of about 1%; Burger King is "nowhere near ready" to audit animal production practices and is still focusing on slaughterplants. There are Codes of Practice (voluntary) for farmed animal care and handling but some producers have never heard of them and most have never read them. In Australia, welfare standards for poultry have been turned into an accreditation program with the first welfare audits being conducted.
A "shocking" 8-minute video clip by PETA, portraying the abuse of pigs and chickens, was shown during the Safeway presentation. A note in the summary explained: "It elicited strong and varied responses from viewers at the conference. Some felt that it was horrific and should not have been shown, others felt we need to see what PETA distributes to the media and therefore was useful, and others were sickened that such abusive acts could be going on."
"Livestock Care Conference 2002," Alberta Farm Animal Care, June 25, 2002.
http://afac.ab.ca/LCC/LCC2002Summary.htm
7. FARMING AND FOOD RESOURCES
A. GLOBAL IMPACTS OF THE SPREAD OF INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE
Collating data on farmed animal production in developing countries and economic analysis from World Bank and UN reports, Compassion in World Farming has released a report on the impacts of the spread of industrialized agriculture to developing countries. "Detrimental Impacts of Industrial Animal Agriculture" concludes that the "livestock revolution" is impoverishing indigenous populations and reducing developing countries' ability to feed themselves. The report also explains that the overcrowded, poorly ventilated, dirty conditions animals are kept in result in the spread of antibiotic-resistant disease among the human population. It can be downloaded at http://www.ciwf.co.uk/pubs/ciwf_reports.htm (under "Sustainable Development"). An article on the report is part of an ongoing series of special reports on food available on The Guardian site.
"Factory Farming 'Spreading Disease Around the World,'" The Guardian, Felicity Lawrence, August 21, 2002.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/Story/0,2763,778054,00.html
B. NATURE OFFERS SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE INFORMATION & REPORTING
Nature, the preeminent weekly scientific journal, is making freely available on its web site a large collection of articles, commentary, and other materials concerning the sustainability of agriculture. The site will also report on news from the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development, which ends on September 4th.
"Science and Sustainable Development," Nature, August 22, 2002.
http://www.nature.com/nature/food/index.html
C. FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD
The Food and Nutrition Information Center is one of several information centers at the National Agriculture Library (NAL), part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Resources in the collection range from educational materials to scientific information and are appropriate for both consumers and health professionals. Information on the website is reviewed and updated by staff nutritionists on a continuing basis. An extensive section on vegetarian nutrition can be found at: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/etext/000058.html
Time Magazine reports that of its cover stories for the past 6 months, "Should You Be a Vegetarian" (see issue #75) received the most responses (653), second only to "The Bible & the Apocalypse" (970). This week's cover story examines dieting with a focus on low-fat vs low-carbohydrate diets at: http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020902/
8. UPCOMING EVENTS
A. ASSESSMENT OF ANIMAL WELFARE AT FARM AND GROUP LEVEL: International Workshop, Sept. 4-6th, Bristol, U.K. Hosted by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. http://www.vetschool.bristol.ac.uk/vets/events/waflrtf.html
B. 11TH EUROPEAN POULTRY CONFERENCE: September 6-10, 2002, Bremen, Germany. Hosted by the World Poultry Association. http://www.epc2002.de/
C. FUTURE TRENDS IN ANIMAL AGRICULTURE: A 1-day symposium, entitled "Standards for Food Animal Production: Status, Well-Being, and Social Responsibility," will be held on September 18, 2002 from 8:30 to 4 p.m. in Washington, D.C. The program schedule consists of speakers from industry, industry associations, and animal welfare organizations. The free event is primarily intended for congressional staffers and USDA decision makers but is open to the public. Advanced registration is required. Send name, affiliation, postal address, and e-mail address to David Brubaker at Dbrubak@aol.com or 145 South Spruce Street, Lititz, Pa., 17543.
D. INTERNATIONAL FORUM FOR GENETIC ENGINEERING: Focusing on the Intrinsic Value of Plants and Animals. September 18-21st, Edinburgh, Scotland. Hosted by Ifgene. http://www.anth.org/ifgene/2002.htm
E. A 2-DAY POULTRY WELFARE SYMPOSIUM will precede the International Egg Commission's Annual Production and Marketing Conference in Seville, Spain from September 20-26th. See: http://www.internationalegg.com/html/news/may_2002.html#02
F. ANIMAL BIOTECHNOLOGY SYMPOSIUMS: Two symposiums on biotechnology will be held by the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology and the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine from September 24-26th in Dallas, Tx. Registration is free but advanced registration is required. See: http://pewagbiotech.org/events/0924/
G. WORLD FARM ANIMALS DAY: 2002 will mark the 20th observance of WFAD, which takes place each year on October 2nd in honor of Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. "Taking the Slaughterhouse to the Street" is this year's theme, with vehicle-mounted televisions playing footage of factory farms and slaughterplants. Organizations and individuals throughout North America and 20 other countries are expected to participate in a variety of activities. Billboards and bus ads are also planned. Farm Animal Reform Movement is coordinating the events. To participate or see a listing of events by location visit: http://www.wfad.org
