Farmed Animal Watch: Objective Information for the Thinking Advocate
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NOVEMBER 14, 2008 -- Number 28, Volume 8

1. PROPOSITION 2 PASSES; IMPLICATIONS

By a landslide 63% to 37% vote ( http://tinyurl.com/yrmac3 ) Californians have become the first in the nation to pass a measure essentially banning conventional battery cages for chickens. Proposition 2 ( http://tinyurl.com/68v77o ) also bans the intensive crating of pregnant pigs and of calves used for veal. Each side raised some $8 million, with about 150 corporations contributing that amount to oppose Prop 2 and more than 17,000 supporters donating that amount for it. California regulators will determine how the law will be implemented and enforced. The American Veterinary Medical Assn. (AVMA), which did not support Prop 2, is calling for animal welfare specialists and veterinarians to be involved in the rulemaking "to make sure that resulting changes in animal housing actually improve conditions for the animals that they are meant to help."

Eggs
David Demler of Demler Enterprises, which produces 1.6 million eggs a day, said it would be cost prohibitive to dismantle the company’s 2-foot-by-2-foot cages and replace them with larger ones. The cages, which contain up to seven birds each, cost about $11 per bird. Retrofitting them would run about $30 per bird, according to Demler. He says the only affordable way to comply with the law will be to eliminate cages and put birds on the floor. Doing so will reduce the number of birds, cutting egg production and as much as doubling the retail price of eggs, Demler contends. However, California’s egg industry has been declining due to reduced egg consumption, and one third of the shelled eggs consumed in the state are produced elsewhere. "There is no reason to expect any significant change in the price of any eggs. That applies to eggs from cage-free hens too," said Daniel Sumner, the primary author of a University of California study on the economic effects of Prop 2.

Pigs
“Just when is the sow considered pregnant? The date she is bred or when that pregnancy is confirmed using ultrasound?” asks economist Steve Meyer. He explains: “Most producers who are moving to group housing for sows, including Smithfield Foods, plan to place sows in individual pens after weaning and through 30-35 days post-breeding…This ‘breeding stall’ practice can help producers achieve productivity levels near those of farms that use individual housing for sows all the way through gestation. The voluntary agreement made by Colorado producers to phase out gestation stalls [see: http://tinyurl.com/5qnytk ] specifically allows these breeding stalls.” (Regarding the Colorado agreement, BEEF’s Troy Marshall elaborates: “…livestock interests realized they didn’t have the dollars or political clout to compete with HSUS on a statewide ballot initiative”: http://tinyurl.com/5kjlrn ).

The Kansas City Star recently ran a detailed article about the fight over confinement farming (see first source below). In it, John Ikerd, an agricultural economist professor emeritus at the University of Missouri, states about crated pigs: “These hogs are living on top of their manure…How would you like to live your life on top of an outhouse?” A video tour of a confinement pig farm is on the KCS site at: http://tinyurl.com/5pu8a5

Next?
"California often is a bellwether, so it’s likely this ban will be pushed in other states," said National Pork Producers Council president Bryan Black, "We certainly don’t expect the Humane Society to stop with California." Mitch Head, a United Egg Producers spokesperson, agrees: "HSUS is trying to march state by state, commodity by commodity." Brent Gattis, an agribusiness lobbyist, expects animal-protection advocates to pressure the Democratic-controlled Congress to enact similar standards nationwide. Industry consultant P. Scott Shearer agrees, commenting: “This vote will have a major influence on animal welfare issues in the 111th Congress.” See also (PDF link): http://tinyurl.com/6noup7.


FACTORY FARMS UNDER FIRE
The Kansas City Star, Karen Dillon, October 30, 2008
http://www.kansascity.com/637/story/865837-p3.html

CALIFORNIA PASSES PROP 2
Feedstuffs, Rod Smith, November 10, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/58n7mz

CAN THEY SURVIVE? FARMERS WORRY ABOUT IMPACT OF PROPOSITION 2
The Bakersfield Californian, Courtenay Edelhart, November 7, 2008
http://www.bakersfield.com/137/story/603627.html

PROP. 2 UNLIKELY TO RAISE EGG PRICES, STUDY SAYS
Los Angeles Times, Carla Hall and Jerry Hirsch, November 6, 2008
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-farm6-2008nov06,0,284958.story

CME: PROPOSITION 2 NOT SO DUMB AFTER ALL
The Poultry Site, November 10, 2008
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/16388/cme-proposition-2-not-so-dumb-after-all

CALIFORNIANS VOTE AGAINST GESTATION CRATES
Meat & Poultry, Bryan Salvage, November 6, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/6xnpja

CALIFORNIA LIVESTOCK VOTE RAISES FEAR IN IOWA
Des Moines Register, Philip Brasher, November 10, 2008
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20081110/BUSINESS01/811100330/-1/ENT06

VOTERS APPROVE ANIMAL WELFARE INITIATIVE
National Hog Farmer North American Preview, P. Scott Shearer, November 7, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/59km65 (scroll down a bit)

 

2. OBAMA ON AGRICULTURE; OTHERS ON OBAMA

In a Time magazine interview, then-presidential-candidate (and now President-elect) Barack Obama spoke of the open letter ( http://tinyurl.com/6o3vmt ) that Michael Pollen published to the then-undetermined future U.S. president: "I was just reading an article in the New York Times by Michael Pollen about food and the fact that our entire agricultural system is built on cheap oil. As a consequence, our agriculture sector actually is contributing more greenhouse gases than our transportation sector. And in the mean time, it's creating monocultures that are vulnerable to national security threats, are now vulnerable to sky-high food prices or crashes in food prices, huge swings in commodity prices, and are partly responsible for the explosion in our healthcare costs because they're contributing to type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease, obesity, all the things that are driving our huge explosion in healthcare costs.” Subsequently, the Obama campaign issued a statement saying that Obama "was simply paraphrasing an article he read. He believes there are a lot of factors that contribute to obesity, heart disease and other health problems, but he certainly doesn't blame farmers": http://tinyurl.com/5u57hj.

The outline of Obama’s plans for rural America can be found at: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/rural/

Asked what he would say to Obama if he had a minute to speak to him about the environment, energy, climate and food policy, Pollen replied: "I would urge the new president to appoint a Food Policy Czar in the White House…The USDA is largely a captive of the farm lobby and can't be counted on to protect the public health when formulating farm policy; responsibility for food safety is, absurdly and fatally, divided between different agencies,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration. See the Grist source below for Pollen’s full response and those of numerous other food and environmental activists.

“Time will tell, but the most concise interpretation of what this election means from an agricultural view is more grain and less meat production,” opines BEEF’s Troy Marshall. He notes that Obama achieved a significant victory and will enjoy significant majorities in both houses of Congress. (The campaign isn't over yet in three Senate races: Alaska, Georgia and Minnesota. If the Democratic Party wins them all, they could have the 60 votes needed to bypass Republican attempts to block the Democrats’ legislative efforts. Three House races also remain too close to call (California, Ohio and Virginia) but Democrats have already obtained firm control of the House.) Marshall predicts “the influence of rural America will continue to erode.”


THE FULL OBAMA INTERVIEW
Time, Joe Kline, October 23, 2008
http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2008/10/23/the_full_obama_interview/

GOING UP? PART 4
Grist, November 10, 2008
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/11/10/101340/28?source=daily

SOME THOUGHTS ON THE OBAMA ERA
BEEF, Troy Marshall, November 7, 2008
http://beefmagazine.com/cowcalfweekly/some-thoughts-on-the-obama-era/

STUMP TIME AGAIN IN STATES WITH CLOSE RACES
USA Today, Ken Dilanian, November 12, 2008
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-11-11-senate-races_N.htm

 

3. TYSON'S GLOBAL PLAN FOR INDUSTRIAL MEAT PRODUCTION

Tyson Foods, the largest of U.S. meat companies (PDF link: http://tinyurl.com/6awesp ), innovated the vertical-integration strategy that dominates meat production “wherein,” according to environmentalist Tom Philpott, “mega-packers breed, slaughter, and process farm animals -- mostly leaving the risky job of raising them to farmers working on contract.” The company’s domestic profit potential has been sapped by chronic overproduction of chickens, export bans on U.S. beef, and increasing grain prices. "We have done about as much in the United States as we can do," said Don Tyson. (See also: MOODY'S DOWNGRADES TYSON FOODS: http://tinyurl.com/5rckpq ) He plans to expand the company by industrializing and consolidating meat production in countries where a growing middle-class population can now afford to eat meat and visit drive-through windows, explains analyst Chris Bledsoe, in a quest to attain global domination of the industry. Such countries offer lax environmental codes and plentiful low-wage labor, notes Philpott.

Tyson has bought two major Brazilian poultry companies and purchased majority ownership in another plus one in India and three in China. Agriculture is the livelihood of nearly 65% of India’s 1.2 billion people and the government restricts the size of farms, causing analysts to be skeptical of Tyson’s success there. Brazil, with its traditional large plantations and ranches, is expected to be more amenable and Tyson plans to make Brazil its global export base. “Tyson is actively pursuing a nightmare vision for the globe. Let's hope Tyson's relations with the incoming Democratic administration are much chillier than his notoriously cozy ones with the Clintons,” Philpott writes, “Six years ago, a former organizer named Luiz Ignacio "Lula" da Silva won election as Brazil's president amid a wave of popular hope. Lula so far has largely failed to challenge agribusiness interests. Let's hope he stands up to block Tyson's plan to make Brazil CAFO to the world.”


DON TYSON SAYS MEAT COMPANY SEEKS GLOBAL GROWTH
Associated Press, Christopher Leonard, November 2, 2008
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jFHTcoVSSa1VTD3PHZKUWsnriSiwD94709A85

MEAT WAGON: ALL THE WORLD'S A CAFO
Grist, Tom Philpott November 11, 2008
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/11/10/13149/672/

 

4. INDUSTRIALIZING CHINESE DAIRY FARMING

"The idea of dairy farming is actually to bring in U.S. technologies to do technology transfer so we can teach people in China how to do dairy farming correctly," explains the chief strategy officer of the HuaXia Dairy Farm. Founded four years ago by Charles Shao, an information technology specialist from California, HuaXia is one of the top 20 largest dairy farms in China. Of the 5,000 cows there, imported from Australia or New Zealand, the 1,000 used for milking produce 30 tons of milk a day. In recent years, government reformers have been promoting dairy farming to millions of farmers as an alternative income source. Like the rest of its food production and supply chain, China’s dairy system is highly fragmented. With its imported equipment and technology, HuaXia is set to help overhaul the way millions of Chinese dairy farms operate. The company is already working with the U.S. Grains Council as a demonstration farm and training center for Chinese farmers. It hopes to gain the seal of approval for quality and safety from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Photos and a webcast of this story is on the NBC News site (see source link below).

DAIRY FARMING AMERICAN-STYLE IN CHINA
MSNBC, World Blog, October 29, 2008
http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/29/1606019.aspx

 

5. AGRIPROCESSORS: DEAD & DYING BIRDS; $10 MILLION FINE

On Halloween, nearly half the chickens coming down the conveyor belt at Agriprocessors ( http://tinyurl.com/5eyf2e ) were already dead, many so rotted that their legs would fall out of their body when worker Oscar Andres tried to pick them up. “It’s really hard in the close conditions that we work — this bad smell was everywhere. It’s like we work and throw up at the same time. Even myself, I was throwing up. It’s really, really bad — but they never stop. They keep us going and going,” he said. The previous day, the former CEO of the Iowa slaughterplant, Sholom Rubashkin, was arrested on charges relating to the employment of undocumented immigrants. That same day, a bank sued Agriprocessors for defaulting on a $35 million loan, stating that it believed that “millions of chicks and chickens [and other animals] in the Borrowers’ inventory are in danger of starving to death.” A local priest reported hearing from workers that trucks full of poultry had been sitting at the plant for days. A reporter documented two tractor-trailers full of abandoned turkeys near the slaughterplant. The estimated 1,000 birds had no water or food and some appeared to be dead (photos and video at: http://tinyurl.com/62o8rw ).

Agriprocessors faces nearly $10 million in civil penalties for repeat labor law violations dating back to January 2006 (see: http://tinyurl.com/5eyf2e ). It has filed for bankruptcy and is seeking to restructure. Five company executives face more than 9,000 child-labor law violations, including for employing children younger than 16. Their trial begins on April 20th. Mr. Rubashkin has been released on a $1 million bond but is required to wear a GPS ankle bracelet, restrict his travel to northern Iowa, and surrender his and his wife's passports. The plant, the largest U.S. kosher meat operation, is operating at a limited rate. Shortages and soaring prices are said to be causing many Jews to go vegetarian. See also: http://www.forward.com/articles/14157/

AGRIPROCESSORS’ BANKRUPTCY LEAVES IOWA TOWN FLAILING
Forward, Nathaniel Popper, November 6, 2008
http://www.forward.com/articles/14522/

GRUESOME SCENES FROM THE POULTRY LINE ARE A SIGN OF AGRIPROCESSORS’ TROUBLES
Forward, Nathaniel Popper, November 2, 2008
http://www.forward.com/articles/14484/

IOWA MEATPACKER FINED NEARLY $10M FOR VIOLATIONS
Associated Press, Nigel Duara, October 29, 2008
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h6D19n6iXOIscqxYjzf5ujU_auQQD944AO4G0

FORMER MANAGER AT IOWA SLAUGHTERHOUSE ARRESTED
Associated Press, Nigel Duara, October 30, 2008
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i0NolsCsG4FlMxidnIGYywL3ms-gD94535Q84

KOSHER MEAT SHORTAGE IN US TURNING JEWS INTO VEGETARIANS
Arutz Sheva (Israel International News), Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu, November 12, 2008
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/128359

 

6. NB. CATTLE STARVED TO DEATH, MORE EXPECTED THIS WINTER

So far this year, some 240 cattle in Nebraska are believed to have starved to death. "We're having whole herds of hundreds of cattle being neglected," said Steven Stanec, executive director of the Nebraska Brand Committee, a state agency that helps police the cattle industry. The per-ton cost of hay has risen by about 80% as high commodity and fuel prices have encouraged farmers to stop raising hay, which is mostly used to feed cattle in winter and early spring. "There's no excuse for livestock starving to death," said an angry Temple Grandin when told of the Nebraska cases. "You can always sell them. They might not be at a good price, but you can always sell them."

In Red Willow County, Nebraska, 111 starved cattle were found last January. Some of their bodies were frozen in a pond where they had broken through the ice trying to get water. Another 140 emaciated cattle were still alive. The rancher reportedly couldn’t afford the high price of hay. No charges were brought against him because the county did not want to incur the expense, estimated at $80,000, of taking custody of the surviving cattle during court proceedings. Similar decisions are not uncommon in close-knit rural areas, according to the Humane Society of the U.S., and farmed animal abuse does not evoke the level of public outrage as does abuse to cats or dogs.

In April, 25 cows were found dead in a Nebraska pasture. Ted Robb and Dustin Dugan pled guilty to misdemeanor charges of improperly disposing of the dead animals after felony animal neglect charges were dropped. The pair now face fines instead of jail time.

In mid-March at Carl Schurman’s Nebraska ranch, 100 dead cattle were found stacked in two piles. Schurman, a former county prosecutor, said they died "mostly of old age, and some younger ones got pneumonia." His pastures were nearly stripped bare from overgrazing while grass in adjoining pastures was about a foot high. State investigators suspect the animals starved to death. No charges have been filed. (The article includes photos.)

In October, officials found many of the cows in a herd of about 80 near death at a defunct Nebraska dairy farm. Hay prices are expected to increase this winter and it is predicted that more cattle herds will slowly starve in remote pastures.

STARVING CATTLE AMID HIGH PRICES FOR FEED IN NEB.
The Associated Press, Nate Jenkins, October 24, 2008
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hFASSRxVoN3pMhWFlMRcTUyrieOQD940NFKG0





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Compiled and edited by Mary Finelli, Farmed Animal Watch is a free weekly electronic news digest of information concerning farmed animal issues gleaned from an array of academic, industry, advocacy and mainstream media sources.