Posted November 11, 2014
Six states are in federal court fighting a California ban on eggs sold from hens kept in cramped cages, according to an Omaha article available here. Food Safety News also published an article available hereand Modern Farmer here.
On October 24, the governor of Iowa and the attorneys general of Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Kentucky filed a notice to appeal a U.S. district court’s dismissal of their case arguing that the law forces farmers in other states to make costly operation changes and violates the U.S. Constitution.
“We don’t want a trade war in America, but we think that California is dead wrong on this,” said Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad.
Most U.S. egg producers use battery cages, which California phased out in 2008 based on concerns about how limited of space hens would have to stand up and turn around, according to Food Safety News.
Battery cages are complex systems for feeding and watering, waste disposal, and egg collecting. They also help prevent disease and turn out cleaner eggs according to egg producers.
Battery cages give each hen 67 square inches of space, which is less than a standard sheet of paper. Many California egg producers are switching to cages that will give each bird 116 square inches of space. A farmer stated the change would force prices to rise by 10 to 15 cents a dozen, according to Modern Farmer.
“What farmers and ranchers need to recognize is that consumers are demanding higher animal welfare,” said Joe Maxwell, farmer, former lieutenant governor of Missouri, and vice president of the Humane Society of the United States.
Missouri farmers, who export one-third of their eggs to California, must now decide whether to invest more than $120 million to meet the law’s January 1 deadline or to stop selling to California, according to Omaha.
Three additional states – Michigan, Oregon, and Washington – have now passed mandatory laws requiring more space for hens. Ohio has banned the construction of new battery cages, and a proposal for a national standard was dropped from the 2014 farm bill.
For more information on animal welfare, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here. For more information on farm animal confinement statutes, including those mentioned in this article, click here.
Share: