It’s hard to believe it’s already a new year. 2023 may have come and gone, but there’s plenty we can take away from the last year, including trends we’ve seen in the animal rights movement that we expect to continue over the next 12 months. This includes animal theft (called “open rescue” by extremists) and the use of “undercover videos” in support of lawsuits against farms and other agricultural entities, linking large scale farms to negative human health and environmental impacts, the outcome of California Proposition 12 and the use of legislation and ballot initiatives to drive change, as well as using media to garner attention. Let’s look back at some of these trends that were major discussion points at various animal rights conferences in 2023.
Animal theft and trespass
Direct Action Everywhere (DXE), an animal rights extremist organization, held their Animal Liberation Conference in Berkeley, California in June. This event was mostly focused on the “Right to Rescue,” as DXE has been advocating for the legal right to conduct “open rescues” in which they “save” animals from “factory farms” by means of theft. One speaker at the conference claimed that “rescue is our moral duty to stand in solidarity with those who are oppressed.” One of the major tools of this campaign has been the use of “investigations,” including covert video footage to support recent trials. Taking it one step further, DXE recently released a 149-page “investigation manual” sharing their tactics on infiltrating farms and other agricultural facilities. In 2024, we expect to see more emboldened attempts at “open rescue,” even despite their most recent trial loss as DXE co-founder Wayne Hsuing was found guilty by jury.
While Hsiung was on trial for previous actions, these tactics continued – even during the trial process. This included a covert video campaign taken while trespassing on a local cattle farm while extremists held signs that read “#ProsecuteThis” and calling for the prosecution of farmers rather than extremists. In addition to extensive social media engagement, like the hashtag, media outreach has been an effective tool for DXE as they have garnered the attention of influential news outlets like The New York Times and National Geographic to bring awareness to their mission. A DXE activist shared during their conference that making connections with the media is crucial as “press can get charges dropped for activists and give you insider information.”
Prop 12 and legislation campaigns
The decision for the Supreme Court to uphold California’s Proposition 12, which came down in May, was a hot topic at several animal rights conferences this past year including the Animal and Vegan Advocacy Summit held in Los Angeles in July and the Humane Society of the United States’ Taking Action for Animals Conference held in Springfield, Illinois in. Both conferences emphasized the recent “huge victory” but also called the pending Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act “the biggest threat…ever seen to animal protection.” Speakers at the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Animal Law Conference held in Los Angeles in October called it a “disaster for farmed animals.” We expect to see continued opposition and lobbying against the EATS Act and similar legislation in 2024.
We also expect animal rights groups to continue to use ballot initiatives and similar campaigns to push through anti-animal ag legislation after the success of Proposition 12, which originated by ballot initiative. This is currently being seen in many places across the country, including in Denver, Colorado where signatures are being collected for a 2024 ballot initiative to ban processing plants in the city, effectively putting a local plant out of business. Petitions are also being circulated for an initiative targeting farms in Sonoma County, California. If passed, this ruling would force larger farms and other ag facilities to either close or shrink the size of their business to meet specific standards, which for many would be unsustainable and cause them to go out of business.
Tapping into other movements
Animal rights groups continue to use consumer interest around topics like public health, social justice, and climate change as an avenue to spread misinformation and broaden support. During the 2023 Reducetarian Summit, held in Denver in October, critics of animal agriculture gathered to discuss how consuming animal products can allegedly lead to “cardiovascular disease and cancer” as well as highlighting the concern for antibiotic resistance “due to the widespread use of factory farming.” Some speakers, including David Meyer, Food Systems Innovation, tapped into climate change interest regarding the “opportunity” to move away from animal agriculture. He shared, “What is it about this climate crisis that is actually a huge opportunity for the animals? Well, it’s a new reason to not eat animals, but this one can’t be ignored.”
Restaurant, retail, foodservice pressure
Restaurant, retail, and foodservice brands continue to face pressure to reduce their sourcing of meat, dairy, poultry, eggs, and seafood. Josh Bisig with ProVeg, an organization focused on “food system change,” said, “Our mission is to replace 50% of animal products globally with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040.” It was also stated that animal rights groups would like to start focusing on college campuses as well, targeting the younger generation to create change. The Reducetarian Summit featured 30 students that received a full year of “mentorship and training” on how to reduce meat consumption on their campuses. Bruce Friedrich, The Good Food Institute (GFI), shared at the Animal and Vegan Advocacy Summit that GFI’s goal is “to have alternate protein projects on more than 50 university campuses.”
These are just a few of the tactics and campaigns we expect to see moving into 2024. Though it can be hard to hear some of these comments coming from those opposed to animal agriculture, it is important to be aware of their activity and stay vigilant in whatever tactics may be coming next. At the Animal Agriculture Alliance, our goal is to safeguard the future of animal agriculture by identifying emerging threats and providing farm security resources to help farmers and ranchers protect themselves and their animals. For more information about the Alliance’s work monitoring activism, click here.
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