Farmed Animal Watch - December 4, 2002

1. FACTORY FARMING SURVEY & SERIES
"The supersizing of livestock farming, while revolutionizing food production in America, has overrun regulators, caused untold harm to the environment and public health, created an uproar over the treatment of animals and squeezed many small farmers out of business," explains "The Supersizing of America's Livestock Farms," the opening article in an extensive Dayton Daily News (DDN) series about the hidden costs of factory farming. The series focuses on Ohio but includes a substantial amount of information about the national situation. Farmed animal production is discussed in detail, including in an article entitled "Activists label megafarm methods cruel." Poultry production is especially covered, particularly in an article entitled "Megafarm Fights to Compete," in which the author relates his observations while employed at an egg operation. Welfare standards and the controversial practice of force molting hens are discussed. United Egg Producers Animal Welfare Committee found the common molting method [starvation] unacceptable.

DDN surveyed "megafarm" environmental regulations on a state-by-state basis. The authors explain the problems they encountered, such as patchwork regulations, exemptions, and inadequate records. Some states don't have a list of their megafarms, and even the USDA admits it doesn't know the actual number of them and relies instead on estimates from annual inventories and sales. The results of a General Accounting Office (GAO) investigation into how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates giant farms are due out in 2003. A GAO spokesperson said, "The EPA's program or approach with (megafarms) is toothless, meaningless....Until we started looking at this, we had no idea how large the size of the loopholes are in the permitting program. Even if a farm gets a (federal) permit, no one watches to make sure they are doing things the right way." Stricter federal rules for governing megafarms are to be announced by on December 13th. Under the proposed rules, the EPA will require more operations to obtain permits and will increase inspections. Surface water pollution is addressed, and large meat-producing companies are to share environmental responsibility with contract farmers. (For a preview of soon-to-be released environmental rules, which a Bush administration official says are more "farmer friendly" than those indicated by the Clinton administration, see: http://www.directag.com/directag/news/article.jhtml?article_id=1008673 and http://www.agweb.com/news_show_news_article.asp?articleID=93300&newscat=GN )

The political clout of agribusiness is also examined. Fortune magazine ranks the American Farm Bureau, with its 5.2 million members, among the most powerful lobbies in D.C. The Ohio Farm Bureau (OFB) was recently able to get regulatory authority switched from the EPA to the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture. An OFB lobbyist explains: "We spent a tremendous amount of time trying to massage the bill and have it drafted the way it should be to run a good program." Critics charge the regulatory change is like "the fox watching the hen house."

The article "Processed food becoming the norm" discusses vertical integration, whereby single companies control the various sectors of the food industries, from production to slaughter to processing and marketing. This includes an estimated 90% of poultry production, 25% of the pig industry and 7% of the cattle industry. Anti-corporate regulations are fought by big companies such as Smithfield, which claims: "Because of vertical integration, Smithfield can tell its customers important information about its hogs: where they were raised, what they were fed at every stage of their growth cycle, their genetic makeup and whatever medical regimens they have had."

2. CHICKEN MANURE CONTAMINATING GEORGIA WATER
Georgia sends 1.3 billion chickens raised for meat to slaughter each year, representing about a four-fold increase since 1970. The birds generate 3 billion pounds of manure each year. The average chicken shed, with 22,000 birds, produces as much phosphorus as the sewage from a town of 6,000 people. Georgia does not regulate chicken manure, and runoff from its use as fertilizer is contaminating water supplies and creating health risks. Industry points to a voluntary manure management training program, and manure management plans that 66-80% of state chicken farmers have developed. Experts say a voluntary program will not suffice. Regulations governing poultry manure application are to be issued by the U.S. EPA by mid-December, but are not expected to apply to smaller farms, exempting the vast majority of Georgia operations. Nor are they expected to put responsibility on processing companies, though they legally own the birds for their entire lives. Of the 10 or so states that do regulate poultry manure disposal, none extend responsibility to processing companies.

3. RESEARCHERS RISK INDUSTRY WRATH
University and government researchers studying health threats associated with agricultural pollution claim they are harassed by industry and stifled by fearful superiors. One reports having received anonymous death threats against her and even one against her dog. Scientists say the USDA squelches controversial research by subjecting it to an extended approval process. The USDA is also accused of preventing the publication of sensitive findings in scientific journals and at public meetings, and of suppressing research results that don't meet industry satisfaction. The agency's Agricultural Research Service takes in money from farm groups and other private sources equivalent to 9% of its $1 billion annual budget. The researchers say the pressure is preventing important work meant to protect taxpayers, who foot most of the bill. They worry that research results may also be manipulated or muffled. The articles give detailed accounts of specific researchers who have come forward with their complaints. Industry groups say the criticism is off base. A USDA spokesperson also attempts to counter the complaints, noting that researching ways to improve agriculture requires cooperation with farm groups.

4. USDA'S 1ST NATIONAL STATISTICAL REPORT ON U.S. "BROILER" HISTORY
The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently released its first comprehensive national statistical report on the history of chickens raised for meat in the U.S. From millions of small backyard flocks, the industry has consolidated to less than 50 highly specialized, vertically integrated firms. In 1945, the U.S. produced 366 million "broilers" annually with an average live weight of 3.03 pounds. In 2001, 8.4 billion "broilers" were produced with an average live weight of 5.06 pounds. The price per pound has only risen about 4 cents in that time, to 39.3 cents. The changing structure of hatcheries since 1934 is also explained. Additionally, the article contrasts "broiler" production with the production of other farmed animal species since 1945. It concludes that the industry continues to consolidate and expand production.

5. "BROILER" INDUSTRY HISTORY, GENETICS & FUTURE
Lower production costs have fueled an immense global increase in "broiler" chicken production. From 1945 to 1995, the cost of producing these chickens dropped by 88%, from over $2 per pound to under 25 cents in the U.S., while production rose from 1.5 billion pounds to 24 billion (post-processing) pounds. Production is expected to reach 35 billion pounds in 2005. The drop in production costs is largely credited to genetics. In 60 years time, from 1925 to 1985, the birds put on twice as much weight in half as much time while using less than half as much feed. (A table is included which shows the changes in 10-year increments.) The article states: "Mass selection has transformed the chicken from a lean barnyard racer that was all skin and bones to a slower-moving meaty animal [who] fully utilizes its internal organs." It goes on to note that continuation in that direction is "a genetic dead end. For the 21st century, chicken genetics will be less about growth rate and more about solving problems caused by the headlong rush for growth rate in the last century." A historical overview of U.S. chicken breeding is also included.

The "broiler" industry is worth $60 billion worldwide. Genetic companies continue to consolidate. The recently formed Aviagen, the largest "broiler breeder" firm, holds 44% share of the world market. Tyson Foods' Cobb-Vantress, Avian, holds 33%. Hubbard/ISE holds 10% and Hybro 5%. Concerns have been raised about the increasingly narrow genetic base. The "broiler breeder" business is an oligopoly with dominant companies greatly influencing price. A chart of the generations involved in "broiler" breeding is included with a brief explanation of each and a numerical breakdown of the number of hens comprising each generation. The base is formed by the birds used for food, amounting to 40 billion per year worldwide. A breakdown of the economic value of chickens used for breeding purposes is also included. The article concludes with a section on the prospects of cloning. It notes that at least 3 companies are currently researching the cloning of chickens, 2 of which have received millions of dollars in grants for chicken cloning from the U.S. government.

6. COK CONDUCTS 3RD EGG INDUSTRY INVESTIGATION
Compassion Over Killing (COK) has conducted its 3rd undercover investigation of Maryland egg operations in 18 months. This time, members of the organization documented conditions at Red Bird Egg Farms in Millington, Md. from August through November. COK reports finding hens living in overcrowded cages with decomposing bodies; trapped hens unable to access food or water; and diseased, sick and injured hens suffering without veterinary care (photos can be viewed at: http://www.cok.net/camp/inv/rb/photos ). On November 20th, 10 sick and injured hens were removed for veterinary care. A New York Times article notes that COK "is one of more than a dozen animal welfare groups making life uncomfortable for the egg industry." This includes similar actions in Ohio and Minnesota. COK notes that the conditions found are representative of the industry. The article discusses welfare standards and the inverse relationship between hen welfare and production costs. The president of United Egg Producers declares "We will live or die on what's best for the bird and best for the consumer." A COK spokesperson counters "If the abuse egg-laying hens endure was forced upon dogs or cats, it would be illegal. It's time we take a stand against such cruelty and stop buying eggs." Adoptive homes have been found for the 10 hens.

An article in the October issue of Egg Industry (not yet available on-line) describes COK as: "Demonstrating that you do not need to be big to have an impact." The article goes on to note: "The organization may be short of staff but has effectively gotten the public's attention through the media." [COK has 2 paid staff members.]

"Advocates for Animals Turn Attention to Chickens," The New York Times, Elizabeth Becker, December 4, 2002.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/04/national/04CHIC.html
"Undercover Investigation Cracks the Egg Industry," Compassion Over Killing, Dec. 4th, 2002.
http://www.cok.net/camp/inv/rb/
"If Those Were Dogs and Cats in Cages," Egg Industry, Charles Olentine, October 2002.

7. NYT PUBLISHES RESPONSES TO "AN ANIMAL'S PLACE"
The New York Times published 7 letters from "an avalanche of mail" it received in response to its magazine cover story, "An Animal's Place," by Michael Pollan (see issue #93). Peter Singer, who was heavily mentioned in the article, writes that in contrast to Pollan, he advocates vegetarianism. He joins Pollan in calling on Americans to boycott factory- farmed animal products. Another writer advocates hunting to obtain meat. A third notes "But in the end, [Pollan's] arguments are still not much more than variations on the usual rationalizations made by those far less compassionate. Perhaps Pollan's new dietary category ought to be this: excusavore." A submitted but unpublished letter by Karen Davis, president of United Poultry Concerns, can be viewed on-line at: http://www.upc-online.org/021203pollan.html

8. THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS
Colorado turkey saviors and a hunter disagree about the intelligence of domestic turkeys. A veterinarian who specializes in the birds sides with the hunter, claiming that, unlike most birds, domestic turkeys don't know to stay clear of fences and wires. Lynn Halpern of Bleating Hearts animal sanctuary says they are wrongly maligned, noting "People would be surprised to know that turkeys are very curious, very aware of what's going on." Another turkey rescuer, Jan Hamilton of Wilderness Ranch (see issue #95), debunks the myth that turkeys will drown in the rain. She explains that her 9 turkeys "hang out in the rain," get wet and go inside. Halpern and Hamilton tell how unique and personable the birds are. Halpern says "Turkeys, more than any animal, can change people's hearts and minds." Maxine Mager of Creative Acres, relates how depressed one turkey became when his mate died. He has since bonded with a German Shephard.