I recently visited California and met with grassroots activists around the state. They were inspired and engaged in the glow of the Prop 2 victory, and many are now undertaking new efforts to combat factory farming with vigor and optimism. During my time in California, I also spoke at a conference attended by agribusiness corporations (including pharmaceutical companies), trade groups (like the Farm Bureau), and state legislators who represent agribusiness interests across the country. The factory farming industry is worried about the impacts of Prop 2. One farm belt senator told me he was waging ‘war’ against proponents of efforts like Prop 2, while another Midwestern lawmaker said that if a state in the heartland “fell” like California, animal agriculture would never recover, and a Farm Bureau official expressed concerns about the “California influence” on agriculture policy in Washington, DC.  

With each advance the humane community makes, agribusiness will respond.  They are now trying to pass a law in Oklahoma to prevent citizens from enacting initiatives to prevent farm animal cruelty. And other states may try the same. We will need to oppose such undemocratic schemes, which seek to give agribusiness interests control over regulating their own behavior. This is wrong and unacceptable. Can you imagine if the oil industry, or the chemical industry, were given complete control of regulating its behavior?

Factory farms have been operating outside the bounds of acceptable conduct for decades, abusing animals, destroying the environment and threatening public health. But, as agribusiness cruelty and arrogance are exposed, and as citizens step up, change is inevitable.