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1.
Pew Research Publishes Farmed Animal Biotechnology Conference Proceedings
In January 2005, the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology hosted a two and a half day workshop entitled "Exploring the Moral and Ethical Aspects of Genetically Engineered and Cloned Animals." On October 27, the Pew Initiative released a 50-page report covering contents from each of the six presentations and four focused discussions held at the workshop. They designed the "stakeholder" meeting to bring together people with diverse perspectives on the use of genetically engineered and cloned animals for food production, with a focus on ethical implications. The presenters paraphrased in the Pew report include:
-- Dr. Jim Robl, Hematech, LLC
-- Dr. Chester Gipson, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
-- Dr. Paul Thompson, Michigan State University
-- Dr. Harold Coward, University of Victoria, Canada
-- Dr. Bernard Rollin, Colorado State University
-- Dr. Mickey Gjerris, Danish Centre for Bioethics and Risk Assessment
Beginning with the premise that public opinion studies show people are leery of genetically engineered animal products, several speakers touched on the ethical problems associated with using animals. Dr. Thompson from Michigan State University discussed the "blind hen problem," which questions how far scientists will go to render farmed animals insensible to pain and suffering. Dr. Rollin from Colorado State University acknowledged that modern animal farming methods "keep animals under conditions that patently violate their natures." On this basis, Rollin argues in favor of the use of genetic engineering to alter an animal's "telos" and therefore produce animals who adjust behaviorally to the conditions on modern industrial farms.
On a more pragmatic note, Dr. Gipson of the US Department of Agriculture gave a presentation of the relevant laws including the Animal Welfare Act, the Humane Slaughter Act, and the Animal Health Protection Act. Finally, Dr. Gierris from the Danish Centre for Bioethics and Risk Assessment commented that the public is currently hostile toward genetically engineering animals. Gierris reasons that the cause of this hostility is the lack of information about genetific engineering available to the public and he argues that the responsibility to elevate the debate falls on scientists. The Pew report concludes in part that "there do seem to be ethical issues relating to animal biotechnology that go beyond health and welfare and that require further consideration and dialogue."
1. "Exploring the Moral and Ethical Aspects of Genetically Engineered
and Cloned Animals," Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology,
Released 10/27/05
Summary page: http://pewagbiotech.org/events/0124/
Full Report (PDF file, 709k): http://pewagbiotech.org/events/0124/proceedings.pdf
2. "Pew Conference on Ethics of Genetically Engineered
and Cloned Animals Published," Check BioTech, 10/27/05
http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfm?fuseaction=news&doc_id=11530
2. New Book and Recent Strikes Shine Spotlight on Chicken Farming Industry
NEW BOOK: A new book
entitled "Chicken: The Dangerous Transformation of
America's Favorite Food" details the author's personal
experiences working in a chicken "processing" plant
and interviewing other workers. The book is written
by University of Arkansas anthropologist Steve Striffler,
who provides a multifaceted criticism of the modern
chicken farming industry. According to Striffler,
"The process of bringing chicken to our dinner table
is unhealthy for all concerned -- from farmer to factory
worker to consumer." Striffler's book describes the
industry from several perspectives, including the
waste generated by large chicken farms, the use and
abuse of immigrant laborers, and the lack of information
provided to retail consumers. The book was published
in October 2005 by Yale University Press.
STRIKES: Concerns about abuse and harassment of poultry workers prompted two recent strikes, including one at a Tyson Foods facility in Alberta, Canada and another at a Foster Farms plant in Livingstone, California. The Tyson Foods strike, which is based on complaints about management denying employees breaks and other problems, has become hostile, including criminal charges for harassment and intimidation. Some workers had been blocking federal meat inspectors from entering the facility, effectively shutting down operations, but a Canadian judge quickly ruled against the strikers. In Livingstone, California, union officials claim Foster Farms has "illegally harassed, demoted and suspended employees for years," although workers are back on the job after briefly striking. The workers have been unable to reach an agreement with management, however, and the union is threatening further strikes.
1. "Reading - Chicken: The Dangerous Transformation of America's Favorite Food," SD Reader, 10/20/05
http://www.sdreader.com/published/2005-10-20/reading.html
2. "Chicken: The Dangerous Transformation of America's
Favorite Food," Yale Press, 10/24/05
http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=0300095295
3. "Production at Poultry Processor is on Again,"
Modesto Bee, 11/1/05
http://www.modbee.com/ag/story/11424080p-12168040c.html
(Registration)
4. "Foster Farms Workers go on Strike," Meatingplace.com,
10/26/05
http://www.meatingplace.com/MembersOnly/webNews/details.aspx?item=15049
(Registration)
5. "Strikers Delay Buses, Government Turns Union Down
in Lakeside Strike," Meatingplace.com, 10/19/05
http://www.meatingplace.com/MembersOnly/webNews/details.aspx?item=15009
(Registration)
6. "Meat Inspectors Return to Lakeside Plant after
Court Order," CBC News, 10/27/05
http://calgary.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=ca-lakeside-strike20051027
3.
Nine Nations and Regions Form the Pro-Industry International Poultry Council
A consortium of nations has formed the International Poultry Council to "work for the common good of the poultry industry on a worldwide scale." Details regarding the IPC's mission are unclear, but its initial focus will be to counter what one industry publication calls the "myriad myths and rumors" surrounding the avian influenza epidemic. Beyond fighting the public's perceptions of avian flu, the IPC reportedly will work to improve communication in the global poultry industry and also support international trade agreements. In addition, the IPC's charter outlines objectives including encouraging "uniform and science-based international sanitary and marketing standards for poultry" products. Founding members of the IPC include Argentina, Brazil, China, the European Union, Mexico, Russia, Thailand, and the United States. The council's first president will be James Sumner, who also serves as president of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council.
1. "Poultry Associations of Nine Nations Hold Charter Meeting of New Cooperative Group," Watt Poultry News, 10/20/05
http://www.wattnet.com/Newsroom/ViewNews1.cfm?PG=1&nwsNum=15612
2. "Global Poultry Association Formed to Combat HPAI,"
MeatPoultry.com, 10/21/05
http://www.meatpoultry.com/feature_stories.asp?ArticleID=76347
4.
Research and Technology Implications for Calf and Cow Welfare
A Kansas State University study conducted in 2000 compared the morbidity (incidence of disease) among calves given different antibiotic treatments and housed in different environments. The 4-5 week study included three sites in which some calves were handled using the traditional "dry-lot" receiving method where calves live in group pens that the researchers say may cause stress. These treated these calves with antibiotics as needed, while other calves were treated once as a group, then allowed out to pasture for the remainder of the study. The researchers found that the morbidity rate for the "pasture-conditioned" calves was 10% for all three sites, compared with a much higher 60% for the traditionally received "dry-lot" calves. The study authors conclude that, "Morbidity was dramatically lower for pasture-conditioned cattle at all three field study sites, despite different management," and that "the benefits of pasture-based conditioning programs and the use of metaphylaxis may be additive."
In the United Kingdom, cow welfare is being approached from a different perspective with the invention of a new automated milking machine developed in The Netherlands. Rather than milking cows on predetermined schedules, the machine induces cows to enter the milking stall, where they are brushed, scanned by a computer, and the machine's robotic arms locate the cow's udder. The system is already in place in several farms throughout the UK and is reportedly less stressful on the cows being milked. At least one farmed animal advocate, however, believes that such technical innovations may lead to increased growth for and wider acceptance of factory farming.
1. "Pasture Conditioning Vs. Dry-lot Receiving," Beef Stocker Trends, 10/24/05
http://enews.primediabusiness.com/enews/beef/v/283#a051024_0
2. "Drylot Receiving Program vs. Pasture Conditioning…,"
Kansas State University, 2000
PDF File (20k): http://www.beefstockerusa.org/research/kansas/DrylotReceiving.pdf
3. "UK Farmers Milk Latest Technology," vnunet.com,
10/27/05
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2144720/uk-farmers-milk-latest
5.
Farmed Animal Welfare Experts: Temple Grandin and Ohio State University
Recent farmed animal articles include
interviews with Temple Grandin, who Discover
magazine says "has probably done more to improve welfare
for animals at the point of slaughter than any human
alive." Dr. Grandin, a private consultant and associate
professor at Colorado State University, claims her
slight autism allows her to see things from a cow's
perspective. Grandin has designed cow management facilities
in the US that eventually process half the total volume
of cows slaughtered for their flesh, and written numerous
articles linking autism to empathy with animals. However,
at age 58, Dr. Grandin is beginning to wind down her
consulting work, leaving the industry to rely on new
sources of animal welfare experts. Ohio State University
is seeking to fill that void by becoming the US's
"premiere university in the nation on animal welfare
education." The university has partnered with Australia's
University of Melbourne to incorporate animal welfare
curricula into the school's agriculture and animal
science programs. One of the University's program
coordinators describes the purpose as being to "make
sure students are educated in a fashion so that they
have a greater awareness for animal welfare issues
and why it is important to society at large."
1. "Jolley: Five Minutes with Temple Grandin," CattleNetwork.com, 10/28/05
http://www.cattlenetwork.com/content.asp?ContentId=12478
2. "Temple Grandin: 'I'm an anthropologist from Mars'," The Guardian, 10/25/05
http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/profile/story/0,11109,1599485,00.html
3. "Ohio State Leads Nation in Animal Welfare Education," Ohio State University, 9/27/05
http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~news/story.php?id=3334
4. "Ohio State Stresses Animal Welfare Education," Pork News, 9/27/05
http://www.porkmag.com/directories.asp?pgID=675&ed_id=3673
(Registration)
6.
Governments Try to Reassure Consumers as Avian Influenza Impacts Sales
According to The Australian, fears of avian influenza have prompted drop-offs in sales of chicken products by about 20% or more in major European countries including France, Italy, and Greece. Last week, retail sales of whole chickens dropped by an estimated 50% in France, while sales of chicken parts there decreased by 15-20%. Italy's government is asking the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to retract its advice to consumers to carefully cook chicken products, saying the "alarmist" suggestion may have caused declines in sales. The EFSA responded with a public notice to consumers, saying that "there is no evidence to suggest to date that avian influenza can be transmitted to humans through consumption of food." Nonetheless, poultry farmers are concerned about the possible consumer backlash, especially those who raise animals in "free-range" environments and are the focus of anti-pandemic efforts. European and North American governments are increasingly working with the poultry industry to assure consumers that products are safe despite public unfamiliarity with and growing concerns about avian influenza.
1. "Chicken Sales Plummet over Bird Flu," The Australian / Agence France Presse, 10/27/05
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17050616%255E1702,00.html
2. "EU Insists Poultry Safe to Eat despite Birdflu," Reuters, 10/26/05
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L26225071.htm
3. "Free-Range Sales at Risk from Panic," News Telegraph, 10/29/05
http://tinyurl.com/d9999
(news.telegraph.com)
7.
Farmed Animal Statistics: Resources and Reports
The links below include the most comprehensive
statistical references on the breeding, raising, and
slaughtering of farmed animals, gleaned from past
editions of Farmed Animal Watch. We plan
to update this list every few months with additional
sites and reference documents covering farmed animal
welfare. To suggest a statistical link or other resource
for our readers or to request specific statistical
topics for future editions of the newsletter, please
send an email to info@farmedanimal.net.
1. United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Statistical Database
http://faostat.fao.org/faostat/collections?subset=agriculture
2. European Union's Eurostat Database - Agriculture and Fisheries
http://tinyurl.com/843xj
(epp.eurostat.cec.eu.int)
3. USDA / National Agriculture Statistics Service: Agricultural Statistics Database
http://www.nass.usda.gov/QuickStats/
4. USDA / National Agriculture Statistics Service: Statistical Research
http://www.nass.usda.gov/research/
5. USDA 2002-2003 Statistical Highlights of US Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov/nass/pubs/stathigh/2003/lvstkindex.htm
8. Other Items of Interest
"Broiler Chickens Face
Some Foul Conditions," Haaretz News, 10/26/05
A recent article describing the treatment of chickens raised for their flesh refers to a 2000 European Commission study that found factory-farmed chickens are gaining weight faster than their legs can support. The study also notes that chickens' hearts and lungs are also incapable of supplying "the demands of the overgrown body," and that 5% of all "broiler" chickens die from related problems prior to slaughter.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/637742.html
"Frankensteer (Premiere)," CBC News, 10/24/05
A new Canadian documentary entitled "Frankensteer" details the use of antibiotics, hormones, and cheap housing to produce low-cost "beef" for unwary consumers. The documentary points out that half of the antibiotics used in Canada are used to treat farmed animals, and one Canadian health official referred to packaged hamburger as "toxic material."
http://www.cbc.ca/passionateeye/frankensteer.html
"Hundreds of Dying Chickens Rescued from New
York City Poultry Market," Mid-Hudson News, 10/19/05
A live poultry market located in Brooklyn, New York City, flooded recently for unknown reasons, with 250 young chickens left starving and injured before rescuers arrived on the scene. According to one volunteer rescuer from Catskill Animal Sanctuary, "The birds are skinny and filthy, many with fractured wings and broken toes."
http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/chicken_rescue-19Oct05.htm
"The Yolk of Oppression: Eggs Are Latest Front
in Humane-Food Wars," Wall Street Journal, 10/18/05
According to the Wall Street Journal, increasing consumer interest in "humane foods" is evident by the growing demand for eggs produced by chickens raised without the use of cages. The article notes that about 98% of the world's hens are kept in cages for egg production, but also says that a growing number of retailers are creating animal welfare policies that prohibit purchasing from companies that use cages.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB112959666209171428.html
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