Factory Farms

2015 brought the issue of farm animal welfare to the forefront in new ways, with companies, celebrities and a groundswell of concerned citizens vocally denouncing cruel but common practices on factory farms. Legislative initiatives, exposés and media stories also drew clear connections between inhumane factory farming practices and food safety lapses, human rights violations and climate change. The calls for a more compassionate food system are growing louder, and they are coming from all corners of society.

Great news: The U.S. House and Senate both passed the FY2016 Appropriations bill today. The language blocking funding for domestic horse slaughter inspections and addressing lax animal-welfare oversight at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center—both high-priority issues for the ASPCA—was retained in the final version. The bill was delivered to President Obama, who signed it this afternoon.

This post was originally published on December 16, 2015.

Earlier this week, the ASPCA visited USDA’s U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) in Nebraska—the subject of a stunning front page exposé in the New York Times that revealed a culture of cruelty and indifference toward animal suffering. Animal protection organizations met with USDA staff at USMARC for a frank conversation about the imperative to direct agriculture and agricultural research toward reducing animal pain and suffering, not just increasing profits for meat producers.