We are continuing the fight in opposing a universal change-over to enhanced, colony cages or aviaries or expanded cages based on welfare and food safety considerations. Yesterday several letters were sent to Dow Jones, the Corporate Office of Dunkin’ Donuts, and an equities manager who criticized any who oppose the California egg law. NAEF fights back because it does not want to see egg farmers revert back to the former way of producing eggs after the decades of advancement culminating in today’s conventional cage system. We’re not the only ones fighting.
You have read in the NAEF newsletter that the Attorneys General from Missouri, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Alabama, and Nebraska along with Iowa Governor Terry Branstad have filed an appeal to their earlier lawsuit against the California egg law. Coupled with this are the Amicus briefs filed by the Utah Attorney General and more recently the American Farm Bureau Federation (who has a California affiliated, but recognizes the inherent dangers of the egg law to the entire egg industry). Congress have engaged too with a bill filed by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) “Protect Interstate Commerce Act” (HR687) specifically targeting the actions of the California egg law in violating the Commerce Act of the U.S. Constitution. In the previous Congress, Rep. King managed to get a similar amendment added to the Farm Bill that passed the Agriculture Committee and the Full House of Representatives. Just days ago, you read how Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) caught HSUS Wayne Pacelle in a lie before his committee denying only 9% of the monies collected from Oklahoma residents went to support pet shelters. Today, you read where the Ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) severely criticized the California egg law, adding he hoped they would run out of eggs so they can see what they’ve done.
The National Pork Producers Council have maintained a steady resistance to HSUS and others trying to force their industry to eliminate gestation stalls. And Rick Berman and his group at the Center for Consumer Freedom (www.humanewatch.org) maintain their educational campaign behind the agenda of HSUS. Please see their latest YouTube video on a veterinarian, a former HSUS field investigator, blowing the whistle on the agenda at HSUS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ_XJDZrzTM
Several of you have contacted me yesterday and today to say the larger egg farmers have given up the fight against resisting HSUS. That is their choice, but we know what that means to their cost of production. The Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply reported the enriched, colony cages would increase the cost of producing a dozen eggs by 13% and 36% for aviaries. You will have that economic advantage over them once they convert to different housing systems.
You have heard me repeat the words of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying “You cannot negotiate with those who want to put you out of existence.” He knows terrorists and what they will do. And we know what HSUS will do in incremental fashion to reshape the egg industry if we give up.
Keep up the fight. Now is not the time to follow those who have given in. NAEF will keep fighting for you because we all know that conventional cages provide a safe and wholesome egg while providing a humane system of producing eggs.