California’s Prop 2 for Farm Animals Handed Landslide Victory
In a historic victory for 20 million animals on California’s farms, Proposition 2 has passed by a landslide in last night’s election. Over 63 percent of California voters favored the “Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act,” which will eventually end the practice of confining certain animals raised for food in crates and cages so small they can barely move.
- » See also: MSNBC to Air 2 Hour Special on Animal Conservation: “100 Heartbeats”
- » Get Planetsave by RSS or sign up by email.
Prop 2 requires farms to provide enough space for breeding pigs, egg laying hens, and veal calves to stand up, turn around and extend their limbs. Backed by the Humane Society of the United States, Farm Sanctuary, and supported by California Veterinary Medical Association, the Center for Food Safety, and countless media outlets, including the New York Times, this measure is the largest of its kind for farm animals ever enacted in the United States.
“California voters have taken a stand for decency and compassion and said that the systemic mistreatment of animals on factory farms cannot continue,” said Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. “All animals deserve humane treatment, including animals raised for food.”
The law goes into effect in January of 2015, giving factory farms six years to shift to more humane housing.
As a volunteer for the campaign myself, the passage of this proposition was important to me. Along with an army of activists, I spent over a year on the ground, from the signature gathering phase, all the way to last night’s victory. We can only hope this is just the beginning of better lives for farm animals around the world.
Photo Credit: Laurel Fan on Flickr under Creative Commons license.
This is a wonderful victory for animals, I think. It may not be ideal — animals in factory farms will still be exploited and endure abuses — but this is a big step in the right direction.
1. There is absolutely no provision stating that caring for animals precludes caring about children.
2. This bill specifically addresses: egg-laying chickens (not meat chickens), veal calves, and pigs. There is no content or connection to Fois Gras or geese, or general poultry conditions in this bill. Veal and pork are both very small industries in California, so that will be a minor, but important, impact. The primary impact will be on California’s egg-producing industry, which is fairly sizeable. Therefor, the price of meat will not go up across the board. Perhaps there will be a small rise in the cost of veal or pork, and in eggs.
3. The best overall solution is to eat less meat & fewer animal products in general - better for your health, less suffering of conscious and intelligent creatures, and far less environmental devestation.
Oh my god, I’m so surprised at the negative comments.
David said…
“Well, my view is different. It is just one more slap in the face of the american farmer and the agricultural industry.
It makes me realize that califorians are ignorant, self-centered and somewhat incapable of competent thought.”
Talk about ignorant, self-centered and incapable of competent thought. The law gives them SIX years to change. That is a lot of time.
Also, you don’t think that breeding pigs, egg laying hens or calves should be given enough room to stand up, turn around and extend their limbs? It doesn’t say they have to be in a pasture, it doesn’t say that they can’t be piled high in cramped spaces, it says they just need to be able to move. It should be a basic right for any living creature to be able to have space to move. Of course maybe those that don’t support this law are happy with things such as puppy mills where dogs live in similar cramped spaces.
It is unnatural to raise animals in such a manner. How self-centered, ignorant and incompetent are people that would oppose such a law?
david said on November 6th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Well, my view is different. It is just one more slap in the face of the american farmer and the agricultural industry.
The entire agricultural *industry* needs the slap—no, what agri-business really needs is to be legislated away completely. Then, and only then, will we see the return of the American *Farmer*.
[...] 2008’s figures have not been released yet, the flood of money donated to California’s successful Proposition 2 and the continued campaigns being waged by mainstream and radical organizations indicates that the [...]
[...] and gestation stalls. Agribusiness in Ohio knew this was not such a far fetched idea, given California’s Proposition 2 landslide ballot-initiative win last November. Proposition 2 banned the confinement of farm [...]