Latest news with #Proposition12
CBS News
3 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Push in Congress seeks to overturn California farm animal welfare law
A push is underway among some members of Congress that could overturn a measure approved by California voters aimed at improving the treatment of farm animals. At issue: Proposition 12, which mandated minimum cage sizes for animals raised for meat. California voters passed the proposition in 2018 by a margin of 2 to 1. It said that pork sold in the state must come from pigs that had at least enough space to turn around. A recent survey from the nonprofit World Animal Protection found that 80% of consumers felt concerned when they learned about the treatment of factory-farmed pigs. An estimated two-thirds of factory farms house sows in gestation crates with barely enough space to move back and forth. They aren't able to turn around, surrounded by metal bars where they're artificially inseminated and standing over their own waste. Under Prop 12, meat from these conditions is banned from being sold in California. Now, two new federal bills could allow meat from crated animals to be sold here again as long as they're raised elsewhere. Lawmakers that represent the highest pig-producing states are pushing for the law. Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) sent CBS News Bay Area a statement, saying, "Midwest farmers and ranchers who produce our nation's food supply should not be hamstrung by coastal activist agendas that dictate production standards from hundreds of miles away." Some pig farmers, including Brent Hershey in Pennsylvania, already changed his operations to comply with California's rules. "As that all evolved, I started to see that we can't defend this," said Hershey. Now he's left wondering where his business stands because he says he's made the change and spent capital to satisfy those markets. "We would say that that's very disruptive," said Hershey. At a farm in the Sonoma County community of Windsor, the sows and boars have much more than room to turn around. They have sunshine and mud. "I figure these animals are giving us so much, we might as well give them as good a life as they can," said farmer Jeffrey Kent. He's been raising pigs for as long as he can remember. For the approximately 100 pigs on his farm, it's a life of free range. "It creates a much more natural life and creates a much happier pig which in the end creates a much better product," said Kent, "To be honest, I don't think I really compete with (factory farmers) at all because the customers that I have aren't interested in buying that kind of meat." Kent says that when you get to spend some time with his pigs, you see that they all have different personalities and are really quite smart. He referred to a new litter of pigs and how their mother treats them. "She talks to them. You can hear the storing back and forth. It's pretty great to see the community and the mothering instincts that they have," said Kent. Of course, those babies will eventually end up slaughtered when Kent deems the time is right. During their time growing up at his farm, though, they're guaranteed the simple things in life: fresh air, mud, and a little room to roam. CBS News Bay Area reached out to the National Pork Producers Council, the American Farm Bureau, and the Iowa Pork Producers Association. They have all opposed Prop. 12 they all support the newly proposed laws, but no one wanted to go on camera to discuss it. Senator Adam Schiff (D-California) strongly supports Prop 12, saying in a statement, "Any attempt to overturn it will face strong opposition. Congress should continue to respect the decision of California voters — as it would the voters in any state — and I will push back on any efforts to undermine their voices."
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
California voters passed an animal welfare proposition. Now, Congress looks to undo it
In 2018, California voters passed Proposition 12, mandating humane treatment for farm animals, specifically ensuring that breeding pigs are raised in conditions where they have enough room to turn around. The proposition prohibits the confinement of breeding pigs in cramped cages, which nearly immobilize animals. It is our position that the law is actually not as stringent as it should be and provides several loopholes that are abused by big business. I own Sweet Water Farm & Ranch Company, located in Columbia, Calif. We are proud to be a family-owned, regenerative ranching operation and we have always striven to implement practices that are good for our animals, our planet and our communities. With a focus on regenerative practices and improving biodiversity, we're committed to protecting not only our animals, but also the environment and public health. We primarily produce pasture-raised California Berkshire Pork, and we directly care for our pigs every day. Now, however, certain factions of the pork industry are seeking to undo laws like Prop. 12 via the U.S. Farm Bill. The U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee passed Farm Bill language last year that would prohibit states from being able to regulate certain agriculture products sold within their borders. Wrongfully touted as a 'fix' to Prop. 12, this would — in actuality — hurt farmers, rural communities and the rights of states to set best policies and practices. We firmly support Prop. 12 and believe that any attempt to undermine or 'fix' it at the federal level is a step backward for animal welfare and the future of sustainable agriculture. Opinion Confining pigs to small spaces is not just harmful to the animals, it leads to less nutritious pork products and damages the environment in innumerable ways. Intensive confinement conditions are also a breeding ground for dangerous zoonotic diseases, which can spread from animals to humans, and this was one priority that drove Prop. 12's passage. Prop. 12 represents a long-overdue shift toward more humane, sustainable and healthy farming practices. It's better for us, better for animals and sets a standard for a better future. Working directly with our pigs, we understand their needs and behaviors. Stress-related health issues are a real concern when animals are confined to small spaces. By giving our pigs room to move on open pastures and exhibit natural behaviors, we reduce stress, injury and disease while increasing food quality and improving the natural world around us. Improving the living conditions of pigs — or any animal — also reduces the risk of disease outbreaks that harm our food system and public health. Congress' proposed 'fix' to Prop. 12 would weaken the admirable protections that California and other states have implemented, or make it easier for those who want to skirt the regulations. That is no fix at all, and for farmers like us, the danger is real. Such a move would undercut years of progress society has demanded toward improving animal welfare standards, and puts us — as conscientious farmers — at a greater competitive disadvantage. It could also erode significant investments that independent farmers and ranchers have made in creating sustainable, humane farming operations nationwide. Those operations create jobs, improve biodiversity, sequester carbon in depleted soils, rebuild rural communities and reduce disease outbreaks all while ensuring that a healthy, high-quality, American-made product ends up at the dinner table. The future of farming requires that we embrace the principles of regeneration and sustainability. Prop. 12 is part of a larger movement toward more ethical, environmentally responsible, health-conscious agriculture. More than a dozen states — red, blue and purple — have passed similar legislation. Undermining laws like Prop. 12 and the will of the millions of voters does a terrible disservice to Americans who care about where their food comes from and the treatment of animals. We stand firmly in support of Prop. 12 and encourage members of Congress to resist any attempts to weaken it. We appreciate Senator Alex Padilla's leadership in supporting this key law, and urge the entire California delegation to step up to protect Prop. 12 and the farmers and ranchers who maintain ethical, humane standards. Samuel Santry is the owner of Sweet Water Farm & Ranch Co ., located in Columbia, California, specializing in pasture-raised California Berkshire Pork.
CBS News
27-02-2025
- Business
- CBS News
$1 billion plan to combat avian flu & lower egg prices announced by USDA Secretary after Texas visit
Amid the continued spread of avian flu and high egg prices, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $1 billion plan to fight avian flu and lower egg prices. The new strategy comes two days after USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins visited East Texas to speak with nearly two dozen representatives of the agriculture industry. Egg prices soared to nearly $5.00 last month, a 53% jump from a year ago. The USDA says egg prices could go up another 41% this year. As part of the plan, the USDA will spend $500 million on biosecurity measures. The government will provide commercial egg farms with best practices and consulting services to prevent the spread of avian flu at no charge and pay up to 75% of the costs to address vulnerabilities. About $400 million will be added to financial relief programs for impacted farmers that began during the Biden administration. The USDA will provide about $100 million for the research and development of vaccines and therapeutics to help reduce the need to kill chickens when there's an outbreak. If necessary, the government will consider temporarily importing eggs as long as they meet U.S. safety standards. The agency will also eliminate regulations that they say raise egg prices. In an interview with CBS News Texas in Mount Pleasant Monday, Rollins said regulations have an impact. "When you're a state like California that passes Proposition 12, which, by the way, requires the chickens have a lot of space, the price of eggs in California, the average price is over $9.50," said Rollins. "The average price for the rest of the country is closer to $5.00." When asked what policies they are considering to lower food costs Rollins said, "It is across the board, deregulation, lifting a lot of the rules and regulations put in place in the last administration. The bigger government gets, the more regulators are on your back, the more rules you have to follow, the more our farmers have to fill out more paperwork, more bureaucratic processes, that causes everything to increase in cost." One egg producer told Rollins Monday that it takes one chicken for every person in the U.S. to have ample supply and that right now, there's a deficit of 50 million birds because they've had to kill so many of them across the country for years. Rollins said prices won't go down right away. "This is more of a long-term solution, but what I can say is that those prices should start coming down maybe this spring, this summer as we work to implement some of those bigger-picture solutions," said Rollins.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump promised to lower egg prices on ‘day one.' Now his administration admits there's no ‘silver bullet'
During the campaign, President Donald Trump pledged to bring grocery and egg prices on 'day one.' Now, his top agriculture rep says there is no 'silver bullet' to eradicate the disease killing chickens and leading to the spike. 'This five-point strategy won't erase the problem overnight, but we're confident that it will restore stability to the egg market over the next three to six months. This approach will also ensure stability over the next four years and beyond,' Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins wrote in an op-ed published Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal. The plan includes providing $500 million to expand biosecurity, increasing relief to aid farmers to the tune of $400 million, removing 'regulatory burdens' on the industry, exploring vaccine strategies for chickens and even having eggs sent here from abroad. The president and administration officials have continuously pinned most of the blame for consumer woes and the U.S. response on the Biden administration, saying that they hadn't taken the issue 'seriously.' Now, experts are warning that egg prices will continue to go up - to the tune of a 40 percent jump in 2025. In January, retail egg prices rose by 13.8 percent, according to recent Agriculture Department data. Egg prices this January were 53 percent higher than last January. Restaurants have started to add surcharges to egg dishes. Now, some Democratic lawmakers are calling for federal regulators to investigate the industry. The price has been driven by the killing of chickens in response to bird flu. As the disease is traced and found in flocks, they are slaughtered to slow the spread. More than 166 million chickens have been killed during the three-year outbreak, officials said. Former President Joe Biden's administration launched the National Milk Testing Strategy, that has helped to trace the spread of bird flu in cows, tested unpasteurized milk and cheese and devoted more money and resources to the issue at the end of last year. States have continued to join the testing strategy during the first weeks of the Trump administration. 'There is no short-term fix. If there were, it would have been addressed under the last administration,' Rollins told CBS News earlier in the week. The secretary said Trump had made the issue a priority 'from minute one,' and that they would work to repopulate following the culling of millions of chickens exposed to the virus. She would not say which countries could be involved in importing eggs to the U.S. One of the regulations Rollins specifically mentioned is California's Proposition 12, which requires egg-laying hens, breeding pigs and veal calves to be housed in systems that comply with specific standards for freedom of movement, cage-free design and floor space. In a win for the animal protection movement, the regulation was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2023. Rollins said that it's caused egg prices to go up - although how much remains a subject of debate. She said prices should start to come down 'maybe later this spring, this summer.' But not until they increase some more. An uptick would occur until Easter, which she said is normal considering the demand for eggs over the holiday weekend. Rollins said Americans just need to hold on. 'The American taxpayers, American consumers, and American poultry farmers have relief coming right around the corner,' Rollins told Fox News's Dana Perino.
The Independent
26-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Trump promised to lower egg prices on ‘day one.' Now his administration admits there's no ‘silver bullet'
During the campaign, President Donald Trump pledged to bring grocery and egg prices on 'day one.' Now, his top agriculture rep says there is no 'silver bullet' to eradicate the disease killing chickens and leading to the spike. 'This five-point strategy won't erase the problem overnight, but we're confident that it will restore stability to the egg market over the next three to six months. This approach will also ensure stability over the next four years and beyond,' Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins wrote in an op-ed published Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal. The plan includes providing $500 million to expand biosecurity, increasing relief to aid farmers to the tune of $400 million, removing 'regulatory burdens' on the industry, exploring vaccine strategies for chickens and even having eggs sent here from abroad. The president and administration officials have continuously pinned most of the blame for consumer woes and the U.S. response on the Biden administration, saying that they hadn't taken the issue 'seriously.' Now, experts are warning that egg prices will continue to go up - to the tune of a 40 percent jump in 2025. In January, retail egg prices rose by 13.8 percent, according to recent Agriculture Department data. Egg prices this January were 53 percent higher than last January. Restaurants have started to add surcharges to egg dishes. Now, some Democratic lawmakers are calling for federal regulators to investigate the industry. The price has been driven by the killing of chickens in response to bird flu. As the disease is traced and found in flocks, they are slaughtered to slow the spread. More than 166 million chickens have been killed during the three-year outbreak, officials said. Former President Joe Biden's administration launched the National Milk Testing Strategy, that has helped to trace the spread of bird flu in cows, tested unpasteurized milk and cheese and devoted more money and resources to the issue at the end of last year. States have continued to join the testing strategy during the first weeks of the Trump administration. 'There is no short-term fix. If there were, it would have been addressed under the last administration,' Rollins told CBS News earlier in the week. The secretary said Trump had made the issue a priority 'from minute one,' and that they would work to repopulate following the culling of millions of chickens exposed to the virus. She would not say which countries could be involved in importing eggs to the U.S. One of the regulations Rollins specifically mentioned is California's Proposition 12, which requires egg-laying hens, breeding pigs and veal calves to be housed in systems that comply with specific standards for freedom of movement, cage-free design and floor space. In a win for the animal protection movement, the regulation was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2023. Rollins said that it's caused egg prices to go up - although how much remains a subject of debate. She said prices should start to come down 'maybe later this spring, this summer.' But not until they increase some more. An uptick would occur until Easter, which she said is normal considering the demand for eggs over the holiday weekend. Rollins said Americans just need to hold on. 'The American taxpayers, American consumers, and American poultry farmers have relief coming right around the corner,' Rollins told Fox News's Dana Perino.
