The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and agricultural leaders in Ohio are positioning themselves for competing ballot initiatives dealing with livestock and egg production practices in the Buckeye State.As Jeanne Bernick writes on Top Producer-Online, the HSUS helped pass a ballot measure in California called Proposition 2 “that bans confinement of hens, pregnant pigs and calves raised for veal by the year 2015.” Now the HSUS is “threatening” to support similar legislation in Ohio.
Rather than stand idly by, Ohio agricultural leaders have suggested the creation of an Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board that would consist of farmers, veterinarians, a member representing the local humane societies, consumers, the dean of an Ohio agriculture college, and a food safety expert. Food safety, biosecurity, and best management practices would be areas of concern for the board. The board would be authorized through a ballot initiative put before the voters in November.
The HSUS describes this potential board as a “’special interest power grab”’ by agribusiness groups. In response the HSUS says it is ready to take its own ballot initiative to the voters in November, 2010. Their initiative would “ensure that animals on factory farms” have room to move around and “extend their limbs.”
Given Ohio’s political significance as a potential “swing state” in national elections, it is not surprising that the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) has taken notice of the situation in the Buckeye State. Bernick writes that Don Lipton, director of public relations for the AFBF, stated:
“Ohio is a significant state with substantial production of beef, dairy, poultry and pork . . . It has more diverse livestock production than previous HSUS battleground states. In national politics, Ohio is a bellwether state, one that is fiercely contested. It’s also the site of a lot of consumer test marketing, partly because of its rich mix of rural and urban areas.”
The animal welfare debate in Ohio may be playing-out for some time to come. To read the Bernick story on Top Producer-Online click here.
Posted: 08/17/09
