Welcome to:
STOP FACTORY FARMING
...a Concord Law School Cyberlaw Website Project
THE PROBLEM
Ever wonder how the food that so temptingly awaits you on your dinner plate got there? Maybe you should. The meat and dairy industry has been transformed over the past few decades into a highly industrialized and profit-driven corporate machine, known as "factory farming," which has created a host of troublesome problems as they relate to animal well-being, degredation of the environment, and to human health.
As a lighthearted, yet factual and thought-provoking rendition of how this system works, please take a moment to view, "The Meatrix" sponsored HERE.
This year, approximately 10 BILLION land animals and BILLIONS more fish will be killed for food in the U.S. alone, under insufferable conditions. While many may feel a certain "distance" between humans and other animals, there is one thing that we all have in common; our perception of and ability to feel pain -- and a strong desire to avoid it. But for these billions of farm animals each year, they can't avoid it. Please visit the links below to learn more... Thanks to "Compassion Over Killing" for the following references:
| POULTRY | COWS |
| PIGS | AQUATIC |
A CALL TO ACTION
While you are probably aware that a federal ANIMAL WELFARE ACT exists, embodied in 7 U.S.C. §§ 2131-59, this fact may lead you to think that the government has taken care to provide safegards for the well-being of all animals (or at least most of them). However, under § 2132(g)(3) of the Act, farm animals (animals raised for human consumption, etc.) are EXPLICITLY EXEMPTED from its protections! This leaves the door open for factory farmers to treat these animals in ways that would be unspeakable under the Act. Other safegards that exist fall far short of offering any real protection, in large part because they are not strictly enforced and can thus be easily ignored without consequence. Fortunately, there are several organizations who have taken up the charge to see that adequate protectons are afforded to those farm animals who were left out under the Animal Welfare Act and unsupported by other weak safegard provisions. The process for change is a frustratingly slow one, particularly because the meat and dairy lobbies are so powerful and can successfully exert their influence on lawmaking bodies, and because our society has been so indoctrinated on the acceptability and (purported) need of using animals for a wide range of human uses (not just for food, but for clothing, experimentation, entertainment, and sport, etc.). Look around you and see how many things you eat and use on a daily basis that contain animal products &/or by-products (and that's just the things you know about!)... Despite the predominant view that animals should be well cared for, the sad fact is that most people are simply not aware of what is actually going on in the factory farms (or prefer to remain willfully ignorant to it so as not to be inconvenienced or otherwise "bothered" by yet another horrific reality in today's world). Despite these hurdles, individuals working through these compassionate organizations continue their efforts, working tirelessly to close this gaping hole in our legal system. Below are some good examples for your review:
| FARM SANCTUARY | GRACE FACTORY FARM PROJECT |
FRUITS OF LABOR
Through the collective efforts of individuals acting alone (by chosing not to purchase products from factory farms or abstaining from the use of animal products altogether) and/or through a whole host of organizations that address the various issues associated with factory farming in one form or another (visit my FURTHER RESOURCES page), we are starting to make some headway. Many times, these efforts culminate in legislative proposals, at both state and federal levels, some of which have been passed into law. Please visit THIS SITEfor a more in-depth look at some of the law-making activities going on. Also, check out some of the comments that have been made about the plight of farm animals by some active members of Congress:
| SENATOR ROBERT BYRD | CONGRESSMAN DENNIS KUCINICH |
| HOMEPAGE | ABOUT THIS WEBSITE | LEGAL DISCLAIMERS | FURTHER RESOURCES |
© 2004 Jacquelyn Purpura