Victory against factory farming: Nation's Largest Pork Producer phases out gestation crates

[nam78_two]

It is over a decade...but its something...
This is one of the reasons why progressive ballot initiatives are important.

http://www.hsus.org/farm/news/ournews/nations_largest_pork.html

Smithfield Foods Inc., the nation's largest pork producer, announced today it will phase out the confinement of pigs in gestation crates over the next decade.

The decision comes after voters in Arizona and Florida—in ballot initiatives spearheaded by The HSUS—approved measures to outlaw the crates. The Arizona measure, Proposition 204, was approved in November 2006 by 62 percent of voters, in spite of a vigorous campaign by the animal agribusiness industry to defeat it.

"This is an earthquake in the pig industry," Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS, said. "Gestation crates are one of the most inhumane confinement systems used in modern agribusiness, and this decision is a signal by the industry leader that these crates have no place in the future of American agriculture. The HSUS calls on the other major pork producers to follow Smithfield's lead, and rid the industry of this extraordinarily inhumane confinement system.

[Reterr]

1. k&r.eom

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. Good!

I've refused to eat commercially produced pork since I read an article in Harper's last spring about factory farming of pigs. Now I buy only pork from free-range, antiobiotic-free pigs raised locally, and yes, it does taste better.

[nam78_two]

3. I am glad about this!

I love pigs...I have worked on a farm (sanctuary) and I am really fond of pigs..
I love all animals, but I have to confess to a peculair fondness for pigs. They are amazing creatures.
Loyal, affectionate, way more intelligent than cats or dogs....
I truly love pigs :).

[dhill926]

4. one step at a time....n/t

[Quantess]

5. I'm a little bit country...... and a little bit rock & roll, too. No joke!

I had farm animals growing up, (only a few and not for money making purposes), but I've seen the way that farm animals are handled by the serious farmers, and it's not something I would be able to do. I would not make it a small-scale animal farmer if I had to handle farm animals as is expected in the industry, if I wanted to make a profit. No way! I'm too kind hearted!

Take commercial turkeys, for example. As delicious as their meat is, turkeys have to live a crappy, dire, overcrowded life, to give us their inexpensive meat. But at least turkeys have a flock. Caged egg laying chickens just might have the worst lot, because they are denied a social life. Denying a chicken the chance to roam in a flock of its own kind is cruel.

This is the first I've heard of mistreatment of pigs, but, I'm not too surprised.

I wish meat production was much more regulated. Of course the prices would be higher, but, if people knew what goes on in the meat indusry, they would be willing to eat meat less often and treat meat with a higher regard.

[Quantess]

6. Those animals gave up a crappy life for your tasty protein,

so treat meat with high regard. Buy meat from local farmers when possible.

Do not eat at KFC (kentucky fried chicken) because they mistreat and abuse their chickens horribly, and they don't even care about serving up a good product anymore, now that Sanders is gone.

Have you tasted meatless meat such as: Gardenburger, SmartDogs, VeggieLinks, Quorn, etc? It is delicious, high in protein, and no gristle. The only difference your body notices is higher fiber, less cholesterol, and potentially more gas. I eat both meat and meatless-meat. I love food in general. I love meat and fake meat, too (I call it fake meat with abandon, because I eat both kinds).

So far, there is no replacement for a delicious steak.

But there are delicious replacements for hamburger, hot dogs, chicken, and turkey! Skeptics say "eehh it doesn't taste exactly like meat". Well no, it shouldn't! it doesn't have gristle! And that's a good thing!:thumbsup:

[nosmokes]

7. Damn good news!

thanks for posting this nam78. i'll still withold my praise of smithfield until i actually see progress made.Factory farms are gonna kill us all, i swear. it's not a sexy isue and it doesn't get press, but if everyone of us supported our local family farmers and ditched the chains and the agro/chem/bio/industrial complex we would make a real dent in green house gas output. not to mention improving the quality of our diet by leaps and bounds.

Buy Local
Buy Organic
Buy Fair Trade

[nam78_two]

12. "It's not a sexy issue"

Very true :-/ and the thing is, while the humane aspect was what made me take it up as an issue, there are so many far reaching consequences to it outside of that. Environmentally speaking, from the point of human health, the treatment of workers...the list of things terribly wrong with factory farming is pretty darn long..

[Hawkowl]

8. One step at a time

In 100 years, society will look at the way we've treated animals the same way we look back at slavery in America. I've been unable to eat animals for the last 10 years.

[SahaleArm]

9. Factory meat tastes like crap - buy natural/free range pork instead...

http://www.nimanranch.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/NimanRanch-NimanRanchStore-Site/en_US/-/USD/ViewApplication-DisplayStaticContent;pgid=TqUgk0a7HFo000IrvJwGkRxa0000inrKXY0x?Page=content%2fOurPork">Niman Ranch

[sinkingfeeling]

10. Excellent. I raised several hundred head of hogs during my high school and

college days. My pigs had the run of a four acre field, private hog houses, and each and every one of them had a name!

[NashVegas]

11. Sometimes, I Think The People Who Invent These Things

Should have their own reproductive systems completely removed. People who rationalize and put this ruthless efficiency above life are poison in the gene pool.