Latest News From Hogs Animal Welfare

In Their Own Words:  Animal Activists Speak Out at 2023 Conferences
In Their Own Words: Animal Activists Speak Out at 2023 Conferences

“We most abolish animal ag to prevent the next pandemic.” While animal rights supporters make up a small percentage, they are loud and can mislead consumers with messages like this. Here's the 2023 activist roundup.

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Group of U.S. House Members Oppose Bill That Would Overturn Prop 12

More than 150 members of the U.S. House sent a letter to U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “G.T.” Thompson, R-Pa., and Ranking Member David Scott, R-Ga., on Monday citing their opposition to the EATS Act.

Attorneys Call on Congress to Pass the EATS Act Now
Attorneys Call on Congress to Pass the EATS Act Now

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird led 16 states in a letter to U.S. Congressional leadership, urging the passage of the EATS Act. "California’s radical-drafted requirements for farmers are hog wild," the authors wrote.

New Jersey Law To Impact Housing and Care of Breeding Pigs and Veal Calves
New Jersey Law To Impact Housing and Care of Breeding Pigs and Veal Calves

New Jersey must "adopt rules and regulations concerning the confinement, care and treatment of breeding pigs and calves raised for veal," according to legislation signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy on Wednesday.

Animal Ag Organizations Team Up to Combat Misinformation and Share Science
Animal Ag Organizations Team Up to Combat Misinformation and Share Science

Everyone knows communication is key to animal agriculture's future success. That's why the Animal Agriculture Alliance and National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) are teaming up.

Animal Rights Extremist Connections and Tactics Updated in New Reports
Animal Rights Extremist Connections and Tactics Updated in New Reports

Do you know what the Top 5 targeted states are for animal rights activists? The answer may surprise you.

Activists Continue to ‘Storm the Courts’
Activists Continue to ‘Storm the Courts’

Undercover video campaigns, staging protests at grocery stores and posting graphic content on social media are common activist tactics, but here's a look at a recent trend of court cases – and unfortunately, “wins."

BREAKING: Supreme Court Backs California Prop 12
BREAKING: Supreme Court Backs California Prop 12

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld California’s new humane-pork law, rejecting an industry challenge in a ruling strengthening the power of states to impose rules that have a broad economic impact on other states.

Scorecards And Incremental Changes: How Extremists Are Targeting Consumer Choice
Scorecards And Incremental Changes: How Extremists Are Targeting Consumer Choice

A small (but loud) group of animal rights extremists and vegan activists are working hard to eliminate choice. They are doing so by applying intense pressure to restaurant, retail and foodservice brands. Here's how.

Pork is Under Pressure
Pork is Under Pressure

A small (but loud) group of animal rights extremists and vegan activists are working hard to eliminate choice. They are doing so by applying intense pressure to restaurant, retail and foodservice brands. Here's how.

Animal Activist and Former Baywatch Star Found Not Guilty in ‘Open Rescue’
Animal Activist and Former Baywatch Star Found Not Guilty in ‘Open Rescue’

Former “Baywatch” star Alexandra Paul and activist Alicia Santurio were found not guilty of misdemeanor theft after “rescuing” two chickens in 2021. Although they faced jail time, Paul says it was worth the risk.

Two-Thirds of Consumers Deem Transparency Very to Extremely Important, Survey Finds
Two-Thirds of Consumers Deem Transparency Very to Extremely Important, Survey Finds

Two-thirds of consumers say transparency in animal protein is extremely or very important, says Merck Animal Health, as part of the company’s results in its first consumer transparency research study.

Good Farm Security is Good Biosecurity
Good Farm Security is Good Biosecurity

Farmers typically focus on biosecurity protocols on the farm, but don't forget some threats come from outside the farm. Animal rights extremists continue to attempt to gain access to farms by any means necessary.

Producers Beware: A Look Inside the Animal Activists' Playbook
Producers Beware: A Look Inside the Animal Activists' Playbook

Here’s three key claims and takeaways from this year’s animal rights extremist conferences and how they plan to turn consumers away from meat, poultry and dairy products.

Sen. Booker Proposes Industrial Agricultural Accountability Act
Sen. Booker Proposes Industrial Agricultural Accountability Act

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker on Tuesday announced proposed legislation aimed at ending line-speed increases and “meatpacker self-inspection programs.”

How Prop 12 Could Impact Crop and Livestock Producers
How Prop 12 Could Impact Crop and Livestock Producers

“If California were to win this Supreme Court case, there’s nothing stopping the state from saying, for example, you can only sell corn in California if it’s harvested with an electric combine,” says Dillard.

Agro-Terrorism and the Food Supply Chain: This is a Different World, Rose Says
Agro-Terrorism and the Food Supply Chain: This is a Different World, Rose Says

If you want to disrupt a government, disrupt the food supply. "Ag is critical infrastructure," says Andrew Rose, strategic advisor. “Three weeks without food and agriculture, and it’s over.”

Swiss Reject Initiative to Ban Commercial Livestock Operations
Swiss Reject Initiative to Ban Commercial Livestock Operations

Swiss voters on Sunday rejected a proposal to ban "factory farming" in a referendum on whether the wealthy country's strict animal welfare laws need to be tightened yet further.

Shoo Fly: Can Coconuts Keep Flies Away?
Shoo Fly: Can Coconuts Keep Flies Away?

Stable flies and other blood-feeding pests take a $2.2 billion bite out of agriculture. A team of researchers is finding a new way to fight back...with a coconut.

Abby Kornegay-Animal Agriculture Alliance
Activist Threats Aren’t Just on the Farm Anymore

Grocery stores have become a battleground for extremists pressuring retailers to remove meat, milk, poultry and eggs from shelves. Recent trends have shown an uptick in store protests, demonstrations and food tampering.

Easier Said ... But It Must Be Done
Easier Said ... But It Must Be Done

If we, who believe animal-derived proteins are good for people, do not share animal agriculture’s story, those who wish to diminish or eliminate animal agriculture from the food system will lead the conversation.

Farm Journal and the National Institute for Animal Agriculture Team Up to Help Animal Ag Share Its Story
Farm Journal and the National Institute for Animal Agriculture Team Up to Help Animal Ag Share Its Story

Consumers are interested in how animal agriculture affects health and wellness, environmental stewardship, animal welfare and worker safety. Now is the time for a more robust and meaningful conversation.

Can Agriculture Save the Planet?
Can Agriculture Save the Planet?

If we get it right, agriculture can, in fact, save the planet, said Jack Bobo, CEO of Futurity, during the Animal Agriculture Alliance's 2022 Stakeholders Summit in Kansas City.

Kansas’ ‘Ag-Gag’ Law Denied a Revisit by Supreme Court
Kansas’ ‘Ag-Gag’ Law Denied a Revisit by Supreme Court

Activists entering animal facilities under false pretenses are protected in Kansas by ‘free speech’ due to recent Supreme Court rejection.

EU Drafts Tougher Pollution Rules for Industry, Livestock Farms
EU Drafts Tougher Pollution Rules for Industry, Livestock Farms

The European Commission wants to tighten EU rules on pollution from industry, taking aim at intensive livestock farming and the extraction of minerals including lithium, according to a draft document seen by Reuters.

Animal Agriculture Alliance Names New CEO
Animal Agriculture Alliance Names New CEO

The Animal Agriculture Alliance board of directors announced the organization’s new president and CEO.

Supreme Court Takes Up NPPC, AFBF Challenge to Proposition 12
Supreme Court Takes Up NPPC, AFBF Challenge to Proposition 12

The Supreme Court of the United States announced on March 28 that it will take up the National Pork Producers Council and American Farm Bureau Federation’s challenge to California’s Proposition 12.

Hannah Thompson-Weeman
Biosecurity and Farm Security are Closely Linked

Although activism and activist activity certainly pose a reputational concern, biosecurity is one of the key drivers behind the importance of implementing farm security measures. 

“Targeted” Law in Iowa Ruled Unconstitutional by Federal Judge
“Targeted” Law in Iowa Ruled Unconstitutional by Federal Judge

Iowa’s second ‘ag-gag’ law, creating criminal charges for those who gain access to an agricultural facility using deception to cause physical or economic harm, has been ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge.

U.S. Activist Investors, Icahn Cry Foul Over Proposed Stock Disclosure Rule
U.S. Activist Investors, Icahn Cry Foul Over Proposed Stock Disclosure Rule

Activist investors including Carl Icahn say a U.S. proposal that would require them to disclose 5% stakes in companies days sooner than current rules could make it unprofitable for them to build successful campaigns.

A Rare Moment of Honesty from a Waterkeeper
A Rare Moment of Honesty from a Waterkeeper

A new year brought with it another attack on North Carolina’s pork industry. This one arrived in the form of a 16-minute video from an online outfit called Vox. It produced the video with money from an activist group.

Animal Activist Wayne Hsiung Found Guilty of Felony Charges
Animal Activist Wayne Hsiung Found Guilty of Felony Charges

A Transylvania County jury found animal activist Wayne Hsiung, who was arrested in 2018 for allegedly stealing a goat, guilty on Dec. 6 of felony larceny after a breaking and entering and felony breaking and entering. 

Hannah Thompson-Weeman
Animal Rights Extremists Take Their Cause to the Courtroom

While some animal rights activist organizations rely on tactics like undercover video campaigns where individuals misrepresent themselves to get hired on farms or plants, others are much more brazen in their approach.

Mark Your Calendar for the 2022 Animal Ag Alliance Stakeholders Summit
Mark Your Calendar for the 2022 Animal Ag Alliance Stakeholders Summit

The Animal Agriculture Alliance's 2022 Stakeholders Summit is set for May 11 -12 in Kansas City, Mo. The theme is "Come Together for Animal Ag: Be Informed, Be Ready, Be Here."

Hannah Thompson-Weeman
4 Keys to Prevent Animal Activist Attacks in the Wake of a Disaster

Animal rights extremist organizations are known for attempting to take advantage of unfortunate situations. That means farmers need to think about potential activism while coming up with crisis plans. 

Hannah Thompson-Weeman
Things Animal Rights Activists Say: 2021 Edition

“Every morsel of meat we eat is slapping the tear-stained face of a hungry child.” Hannah Thompson-Weeman shares remarkable quotes from 2021 activist conferences to demonstrate what animal ag is up against.

Hannah Thompson-Weeman
Food Systems Under Scrutiny at UN Food Systems Pre-Summit

The U.S. agriculture community tends to be proud of our role in providing families around the world with safe, affordable and nutritious food. And we have reason to be. However, not everyone shares that same sentiment.

Why Animal Agriculture Needs to Take Petition 13 Seriously
Why Animal Agriculture Needs to Take Petition 13 Seriously

Is Petition 13 out of Oregon as ridiculous as it sounds? Hannah Thompson-Weeman, vice president for strategic engagement at the Animal Agriculture Alliance, weighs in on Petition 13, the PAUSE Act and Prop 12.

Supreme Court Rejects Meat Institute’s Petition to Review Proposition 12
Supreme Court Rejects Meat Institute’s Petition to Review Proposition 12

The Supreme Court has denied a petition to review California’s Proposition 12, which requires the sale of meat products in California to conform with the state’s animal housing standards.

Hannah Thompson-Weeman
Nutrition: The Next Activist Battleground?

With so much conversation around sustainable nutrition and some voices calling for everyone to ditch meat to save the planet, we all need to get more comfortable communicating about nutrition. 

Crime on the Farm: How to Stay Calm When You Aren’t
Crime on the Farm: How to Stay Calm When You Aren’t

Being the victim of a crime can be a traumatic experience. Whether it’s a break-in at your farm or an animal activist trespassing on your property, John Sancenito says how you respond can make all the difference. 

8 Steps to Take If Your Farm is Vandalized
8 Steps to Take If Your Farm is Vandalized

As a former police detective and terrorism expert, John Sancenito understands that it’s hard for people, especially farmers who have the tendency to be self-reliant, to involve the police when a break-in occurs.

Hannah Thompson-Weeman
When Events Return, So Will Protests

While in-person events have a long list of benefits, there is one downside – they allow animal rights activist organizations to attempt to gain attention for their cause by holding “disruptions” and protests.

20 States Back Challenge to the Constitutionality of California’s Prop 12
20 States Back Challenge to the Constitutionality of California’s Prop 12

The governments of nearly half the U.S. states are in agreement of the North American Meat Institute’s petition challenging the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 12.

Hannah Thompson-Weeman
Stand Up For Animal Ag: Policies Loom That Could Impact Your Farm

Attempting to use the legislative process to make things more difficult for animal agriculture is far from a new tactic for animal rights activist organizations, but things seem to be heating up in this area. 

Proposition 12: U.S. Pork Supply Chain Locked in Limbo, Rabobank Says
Proposition 12: U.S. Pork Supply Chain Locked in Limbo, Rabobank Says

Proposition 12, California’s animal welfare rule, is slated to take effect on Jan. 1, 2022. But with these new regulations still mired in a legal battle, the pork industry is left in limbo, Rabobank says.

Meat Institute Asks Supreme Court to Review Case Against California’s Prop 12
Meat Institute Asks Supreme Court to Review Case Against California’s Prop 12

The Meat Institute filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to review an earlier ruling of the Meat Institute’s challenge to the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 12.

Misinformation During COVID-19: Caulfield to Speak at 2021 Virtual Summit
Misinformation During COVID-19: Caulfield to Speak at 2021 Virtual Summit

The author of bestselling book ‘Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?’ Timothy Caulfield is set to provide keynote at the Animal Agriculture Alliance's 2021 Virtual Stakeholders Summit.

Broiler chicks
Court Rejects Meat Institute’s Prop 12 Appeal

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected the Meat Institute’s challenge to California’s 2018 ballot initiative that imposes new standards for animal housing.

Hannah Thompson-Weeman
What’s Next for Animal Activism in 2021 and What Can We Do About It?

As much as 2020 has shown us being flexible is just as valuable as having plans, I still believe there is merit to taking a moment to reflect on some of the trends we’ve seen and how they may impact us moving forward.