Agricultural News
HSUS Winning Several Battles - What Agriculture Can Do to Keep Them from Winning the War
Mon, 05 Dec 2016 14:47:28 CST
State Question 777 - Right to Farm has been talked about a lot here in Oklahoma as the ag initiative that failed. One ag initiative that passed though, was Massachusetts' State Question 3, which dealt with confinement and housing systems used in animal production, namely for laying hens, hogs and veal. This measure was heavily supported and funded by the Humane Society of the United States. Farm Director Ron Hays spoke with Hannah Thompson of the Animal Agriculture Alliance about the implications this measure will have nationwide.
"It was by no means a grassroots effort - it was HSUS pushing this and funding it and getting their staff on the ground to promote it," Thompson said, explaining that Massachusetts was chosen specifically because the state has no large ag-based community to fight the group's agenda.
The measure itself only impacts exactly one farm in Massachusetts, says Thompson. The message of this measure was essentially geared in fact to farmers outside the state, saying that they must conform to their standards if they want to sell to consumers in their state. HSUS seems to be leaning on this tactic more and more over the years and Thompson says they will continue to seek this type of legislation in other states and continue to apply pressure to restaurants and retail food suppliers.
"They've realized if the can get them on board, that's going to be a nationwide policy a lot faster than a ballot initiative," Thompson said. "I think in animal agriculture we have to all be united. We will all be on the plate eventually, so we all need to work together to combat this messaging."
Listen to Thompson and Hays discuss the threat posed by HSUS to animal agriculture more in depth, on today's Beef Buzz.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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