Animal Rights Groups Spending a Bundle
Brownfield Network - November 28, 2007
Cyndi Young with Brownfield Network opined on the animal rights movement spending millions of dollars to influence legislation to impede animal agriculture. Successful ballot initiatives in Florida and Arizona and successful legislation in Oregon are just a starting point in their using animal welfare as a tool to end animal agriculture in the Midwest, states Young. (More, MP3)

Fight Over Caged Chickens
Sacramento Bee - November 25, 2007
Jim Downing with the Sacramento Bee reported on a proposed ballot initiative in California that would effectively eliminate cages for laying hens in the state. The article indicates that a ban on cages would run many California farmers out of business, drive up prices and restrict consumer choice. The article also cites a nationally known animal welfare expert who indicates that cage-free hens die at more than twice the rate of caged hens in addition to suffering a markedly higher - up to 67% - rate of broken bones. (More)

Hen Housing Systems Compared
Feedstuffs FoodLink - October 8, 2007
In this article Joy Mench, PhD, points out that cage systems are not as bad as activists paint them to be, non-caged systems are not as good as they paint them to be and no one system"based on reviews by scientists all over the world"is clearly superior to another in terms of the care, health and well-being of the hens housed in them. (More)

ProAnimal Coalition
Tribune Chronicle - October 5, 2007
In this article, John Parker from the Warren Tribune Chronicle reports on the forming of the ProAnimal Coaltiion, a group dedicated to getting out the truth about the excellent care that farmers give their animals. Joe Cornely, a leader of the group pointed out that farmers must get organized stand up and speak out. (More)

Scientist discusses hen housing
Feedstuffs FoodLink - September 28, 2007
In this article Joy Mench, PhD, an animal behavior specialist at the University of California-Davis, addresses a number of statements commonly made by animal rights activists about cage and cage-free housing for laying hens. (More)

Time for a United Position on Animal Welfare
Feedstuffs - July 23, 2007
In this editorial, animal welfare experts Stanley Curtis, PhD, Temple Grandin, PhD and John McGlone, PhD, report that the state of animal welfare is generally better today than it has been in the past. These well-known and widely respected experts also warn that "changing animal production and processing systems on the basis of erroneous premises ultimately will be of no use to any human or animal." (More)

Blow Dealt to Animal Rights Fanatics
Poultry Times - July 16, 2007
This editorial by Kay Johnson cites a recent court verdict in favor of a law-abiding egg farmer in Pennsylvania. Johnson warns of those who attempt to get hired under false pretenses and then use their new position to record posed scenes. She notes the importance of having outside experts who can attest for a farm's animal welfare program and warns of the dangerous agenda of extreme animal rights groups. (More)

Animal Welfare Issue Boiling
Los Angeles Times - July 2, 2007
This article by Jerry Hirsch indicates that though animal welfare issues aren't new, they appear to rank higher in consumer awareness than in the past. Hirsch indicates that some companies, both large and small, are taking steps to anticipate potential changes in the market for food. He also indicates that some consumers and organizations believe the companies are reacting more to the concerns of animal rights activists than to consumer sentiment. (More)

Court Ruling Against Animal Rights Group
AgriTalk - June 20, 2007
Philip Lobo, Communications Director for the Animal Agriculture Alliance, discussed the recent not guilty verdict in an animal cruelty case improperly brought against an egg farmer in Pennsylvania. Lobo also discusses Microsoft's misguided support of the nation's largest animal rights organization, Humane Society of the United States. (More, WMA, 1.78 MB)

Arsenic in Chicken? Look and Find Reasons
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - June 7, 2007
In this editorial, Patrick McIlheran, examines the use of roxarsone, a compound that includes arsenic and is used to suppress a parasitic disease in chickens. He examines how and why roxarsone is used. He also examines safety data and food safety trade-offs. Most importantly, he urges people to take a reasoned approach rather than adopt advocacy-driven scare tactics. (More)

Lawmakers Show Little Appetite for Animal Welfare Provisions in Farm Bill
CongressNow - May 8, 2007
Kelly Schwaberow with CongressNow reported on a House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry hearing in which Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the U.S., pushed for various national animal welfare legislation. But Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa), who chairs the House Agriculture subcommittee on livestock, dairy and poultry, said that that the food industry has already taken steps to improve the treatment of animals. He said that consumers are already driving the market toward better animal conditions without a need to pass new laws. (More)

Mainstream animal ag groups, HSUS square off in D.C.
Brownfield Network - May 8, 2007
Peter Shinn with Brownfield Network reported on a House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry hearing that featured Charlie Stenholm, former ranking Democrat on the House Ag Committee. Stenholm that pointed out livestock producers have a both a financial and moral interest in treating the animals in their care humanely and accused the HSUS of using its massive war chest of donations to advance a political agenda, rather than using the money to actually care for animals. Testimony from Wayne Pacelle, president of HSUS was also featured at the hearing. Shinn reported Pacelle taking a combative tone with the House Ag Subcommittee members, suggesting they were out of touch with the American people on a range of animal welfare issues. (More)

Who would you follow on welfare?
Feedstuffs - April 23, 2007
The National Association of Agricultural Journalists meeting - held in Washington DC on April 16, 2007 - included a panel session on farm animal welfare with panelists from the Humane Society of the United States, the Food Marketing Institute and the Animal Agriculture Alliance. Sally Schuff, a veteran reporter for Feedstuffs, relates the key messages of each panelist and asks the reader to judge based on the statements they made. (More)

Animal Rights Debate Evolving
DTN News Service - April 16, 2007
In this article, Chris Clayton of DTN News Service details a panel session at the National Association of Agricultural Journalists meeting - held in Washington DC on April 16, 2007 - on farm animal welfare. The panel included participants from the Humane Society of the United States, the Food Marketing Institute and the Animal Agriculture Alliance. The Alliance's Kay Johnson noted that people pushing for bans on certain practices often are arrogant and constantly point out what's wrong but offer no solutions. (More)

Livestock industry tells own story
Feedstuffs - April 16, 2007
This article by veteran reporter Sally Schuff examines the recent hearings held in North Carolina by the Pew-funded National Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production (NCIFAP). The story focuses on the testimony of Dr. Todd See, a North Carolina State University associate professor of animal science, Kristin Coracini of Environmental Defense, and Mike Williams, coordinator of waste management systems for North Carolina. (More)

Presidential TPA Passsage Looks Increasingly Unlikely
Brownfield Network - March 22, 2007
Reporting live from the Sixth Annual Stakeholders Summit, Peter Shinn with Brownfield Network reported that Collin Peterson (D-MN), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, indicated that some of his Democratic colleagues in Congress were sure to insist that specific labor and environmental provisions be made part of future trade negotiations. And that is if TPA gets renewed at all. (More)

The Importance of Demystifying Agriculture to America's Increasingly Urban Majority
AgriTalk - March 21, 2007
Don Butler, outgoing Alliance Chair and Director of Government Relations and Public Affairs for Murphy-Brown LLC, David White, Senior Director Policy Research and Development with Ohio Farm Bureau, Jim Klinker, Chief Administrative Officer of Arizona Farm Bureau and Charlie Arnot, President of CMA Consulting, join Mike Adams live from the Sixth Annual Stakeholders Summit on March 21, 2007 in Arlington, Virginia. (More, MP3, 21.7 MB)

High corn prices, high food prices may not be bad
CSIF E-Team! Newsletter - March 20, 2007
Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn), chair of the House Ag Committee told ag leaders gathered for the Animal Ag Alliance's sixth annual Stakeholders Summit that he sees rising feed costs, higher meat prices and a growing renewable fuels industry that utilizes smart crops instead of corn and soybeans reinvigorating rural communities. "My judgment," he added, "is that it's alright for feed prices to go up and meat prices go up. I believe that far too long we've been underselling." (More)

Livestock Issues Gain Prominence in 2007 Farm Bill Debate
Brownfield Network - March 20, 2007
In this news story, reporter Peter Shinn with Brownfield Network, interviews the American Farm Bureau Federation's Mary Kay Thatcher from the Animal Agriculture Alliance's 6th Annual Stakeholders Summit, held in Arlington, Virginia. Thatcher identified animal welfare as one of the biggest topics facing agriculture representatives in the upcoming farm bill debate. Thatcher also indicated that livestock issues generally will play a biggest role in the 2007 farm bill than ever before. (More/Listen)

Animal Welfare, Animal Rights Terrorism and the Chicago Ban on Foie Gras
AgriTalk - March 20, 2007
Broadcasting live from the Sixth Annual Stakeholders Summit on March 20, 2007 in Arlington, Virginia, Mike Adams, who also served as moderator for the meeting, interviews Kay Johnson, Executive Vice President of the Animal Agriculture Alliance, Michael Tsonton, Chef and Co-owner of Copperblue Restaurant in Chicago, Ricardo Solano, Director, Gibbons, del Deo, Dolan, Griffinger & Vecchione, and Jill Appell, President of the National Pork Producers Council. (More, MP3, 21.7 MB)

Pork Producers Promise 'Plus'
Feedstuffs - March 12, 2007
This article by veteran reporter Rod Smith examines the "PQA Plus" program in the pork sector. It combines science-based guidelines for using animal health products for the animals' health, pork safety and for the care and welfare of the animals. The program requires that employees understand their health and welfare responsibilities and requires an independent assessment to determine whether the practices are in place and working. (More, PDF, 295 kb)

More Dead Animals = Improved Animal Welfare?
Pork Executive Magazine - March 2007
In this editorial for Pork Executive magazine, Philip Lobo, Communications Director at the Animal Agriculture Alliance, reports on findings of Dr. John McGlone, a professor at Texas Tech University and widely-recognized animal welfare expert. On a trip to Sweden, McGlone visited a model farm using a group housing system. Lobo highlights some of the more important shortcomings McGlone found. (More, PDF, 178 kb)

Worth Your Time and Attention
PORK Magazine - March 2007
This article by Mike Ellis, PhD, at University of Illinois, focuses on the importance of handling animals properly before and during transportation. Ellis suggests five major areas to focus on that will enhance conditions for the pigs. The article appears in both English and Spanish. (More, PDF, 1.13 mb)

Forcing the Hand
PORK Magazine - March 2007
In this editorial Marlys Miller, Editor of PORK magazine, notes that there is no proof that the animal well-being edge goes to group housing or to a gestation crate system. She notes the benefits of gestation crates and expresses concern over the potential for sow welfare to be compromised in the quest to enhance their well-being. (More, PDF, 72 kb)

Science Should Take Precedence Over Ethics
Feedstuffs - February 12, 2007
In this article, Dr. Stanley Curtis of the University of Illinois indicates his concern over ethical judgments being confused with scientific evidence in discussions of animal welfare. He notes other scientists' worries over the practical animal welfare problems that group housing for sows presents. Further, Curtis notes that many of the people offering advice or making demands are unaware of"and perhaps uncaring about"the potential negative impact of their demands on animal welfare. (More, PDF, 35 kb)

Court Ruling Against Animal Rights Group
AgriTalk - June 20, 2007
Philip Lobo, Communications Director for the Animal Agriculture Alliance, discussed the recent not guilty verdict in an animal cruelty case improperly brought against an egg farmer in Pennsylvania. Lobo also discusses Microsoft's misguided support of the nation's largest animal rights organization, Humane Society of the United States. (More, WMA, 1.78 MB)

Flawed Assumptions Lead to Faulty Results
Feedstuffs - February 5, 2007
In this article, Dr. William Dudley-Cash examines an economic evaluation of growth promoting antibiotics conducted by J. Graham, J. Boland and E. Silbergeld from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins University. Dudley-Cash indicates that the "economic calculations are based on fatally flawed assumptions, and the results and conclusions are therefore, wrong." In particular, Dudley-Cash points to the flawed assumption that the grower payment could be used as a proxy for the live value of a chicken when it is only a small portion of the chicken's real value. Dudley-Cash also notes a calculation error in a 2004 Silbergeld authored piece which overestimated arsenic concentration by 7,000%. (More, PDF, 58 kb)

Leadership in Animal Welfare and Environment Is Important
AgriTalk - February 2, 2007
Philip Lobo, Communications Director for the Animal Agriculture Alliance, discussed the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act and agroterrorism in Iowa in a live interview on AgriTalk conducted from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's 2007 Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. Lobo also spoke about Smithfield's move away from gestation stalls, animal rights group funding, and the upcoming sixth annual Stakeholders Summit to be held March 19-21, 2007 in Arlington, Virginia. (More, WMA, 2.07 MB)

Crates are the Best Way to Take Care of Sows
Feedstuffs FoodLink.com - January 4, 2007
"In my opinion, we ought to be keeping sows is in crates," says Dr. Stan Curtis, legendary animal research scientist at the University of Illinois in this interview with Feedstuffs Foodlink. Curtis cited leading reasons for gestation crates to be to ensure health, appropriate nutrition, control aggression, and manage waste. As for pigs desire to move about, Curtis says, "Pigs are not natural born joggers."

When asked about ways to measure animal welfare, Curtis says, "In my opinion, productive and reproductive performance are the best indicators of animal welfare." (More, WMV, 4.00 MB)