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California Votes on Farm Animal Rights

by · October 24th, 2008
Animal Care, Eggs, Farming, Food Justice, Food Safety, Grocery, Meat, News, NYTimes, Personal Story, Politics, Sustainability, Vegetarian

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I get a little nostalgic around election season – I guess it’s hard to get over your “first time” (voting, of course).  Born in 1982, I was one of those teenagers who was lucky enough to turn 18 the year of a presidential race.  Of course, it happened to be the Bush/Gore, Florida, hanging chad, Jewish grandmothers accidentally voting for Pat Buchanan debacle, so maybe I wasn’t really all that lucky.

Still, I remember campus being ignited with an electric charge of excitement in the weeks before the race.  Everyone talked hopefully about the candidates and the future.  A slew speakers stormed campus to give ostensibly non-partisan speeches – but it was pretty clear where Gloria Steinam, Winona LaDuke (Ralph Nader’s running mate), and Saul Williams stood on the issues  And signs urging voters to “vote YES on 9″ or “vote NO on 12″ plastered every square inch of wall surface in the hopes that, even if people couldn’t exactly remember what “9″ stood for, their Pavlovian response would kick in on voting day.

This year, California voters have the chance to “vote YES or NO” on animal rights.  Proposition 2 – an animal rights ballot measure – would free farm animals (namely chickens, sows, and veal cattle) from the restrictive cages many of them live in now on factory farms.  But not everyone thinks this is such a great idea.

More and two videos on Prop 2, below the jump.

Proposition 2 represents the first attempt to legislate this sort of farm animal rights, proving that California continues to lead the country in progressive “environmental legislation.”  But, as always, there are two sides to this bill. 

Advocates say that Prop 2 – which would require animals be given space to turn around, lie down, stand up and fully extend their limbs – is a huge step forward towards safer, more humane animal treatment and a more compassionate dinner.  Opponents say that, while well-intended, the proposition (which would go into effect in 2015), would raise production costs, harming farmers and raising the cost of eggs at the supermarket.

The controversy hinges around a fairly classic “ecology vs. economy” divide, made far more complicated with the economy in the state that it is.  Today’s New York Times does a good job of laying out both sides of the controversy – but if you want the sound bite version – check out this video in favor of Prop 2:

and this advertisement against Prop 2:

So what do you – California voters, and otherwise – think?

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5 Responses to “California Votes on Farm Animal Rights”

  1. Michael Croland Says:
    October 24th, 2008 at 9:45 am

    Prop 2 isn’t so unprecedented. In 2000, Florida voters approved a ballot iniative banning the use of gestation crates for sows. In 2006, Arizona voters said “Yes!” to prohibiting the use of gestation crates for sows and veal crates for calves. In 2007, Oregon (like several major companies–see http://jcarrot.org/factory-far.....ospective/ OR http://tinyurl.com/5my8re) said “No!” to gestation crates for pigs. And in May, Colorado’s governor signed into law a bill against veal and gestation crates.

    Prop 2 represents a growing trend in the U.S. (and an even bigger trend internationally). Fingers crossed that it’ll pass.

  2. Anonymous Says:
    October 24th, 2008 at 4:00 pm

    I think this is a wonderful idea. I love jcarrot and read every day. Some of us are very low-income and although I love and support the idea of freer chickens, and buy free-range and organic whenever possible, I have found increasingly that I can’t afford it. We used to buy all organic and free range, and now can rarely do so. With kids to feed, no room for a garden, and a two-hour drive to the nearest Trader Joe’s, it’s so hard to purchase these anymore. The problem of the price of eggs rising is a real problem for some people. We have to choose between higher quality bread, or eggs, or fruits and vegetables, or meats. (We ALWAYS buy organic milk, no matter what, even at $4 for a half gallon, we just had to drastically cut down on how much we use, and toddlers love milk!). If you can’t afford high-quality everything, which do you choose? Which makes the greatest impact?

  3. pattiviola Says:
    October 24th, 2008 at 7:37 pm

    Some labor groups here in California, which are generally on the more progressive side of many issues, are opposing 2, saying that it would criminalize individual low-level workers, not just the corporate ownership of the farms. Does anyone have specific info about this?

  4. moe Says:
    October 25th, 2008 at 12:06 pm

    As a very low-income recent graduate from California, I still plan to vote yes on Prop. 2. The only initiative more important to me at a state-level is Proposition 8, and that’s only because my partner and I are engaged!

    Animal rights have always been incredibly important to me… but I don’t feel like that’s the appropriate way for this issue to be framed. Animals, as beings on this either (whether you believe them to be sentient or not), deserve to be treated well. I’m NOT going to advocate that everyone become a vegetarian or a vegan, but if animals are going to be slaughtered for food, they should be raised and killed in as humanely a manner possible.

    Prop 2 only represents a MINOR improvement in living conditions for hundreds of thousands of farm animals across the state. That’s all. And to me, it’s the least we can do for them.

    Although I’m a generally content and happy vegetarian now (I do still miss meat from time to time), when I first switched I only made the change because I couldn’t ever begin to afford free-range meat and cage-free eggs. The justification of enjoying those products given how the animals were treated became enough motivation for me to stop consuming them.

    Now I’m lucky enough to live close to a great farmers market, and affordable enough eggs that our family can purchase them. But when I couldn’t afford it – I didn’t purchase it. You see where I’m going.

    Personally, I don’t think the evidence that I’ve reviewed on Prop 2 really suggests that dairy prices will increase if the initiative is passed. But even if those aren’t just scare tactics, I’m willing to take the risk.

    *steps off soap box*

    Sorry for the intensely long response. Off topic: I love this blog :)

  5. Michael Croland Says:
    November 5th, 2008 at 8:34 am

    Proposition 2 passed — overwhelmingly. :)

    Correction to my comment above: The Florida initiative I mentioned was in 2002, not 2000. Following a six-year phase-out period, the ban on the cruel confinement of pregnant pigs takes effect today.

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