News
California Senators Have A Lot On Their Plates
January 25, 2009, 12:5AM MT
By Carrie Jones
Food and Agriculture Committee Expanded to Include Animal Welfare Concerns
Food and Agriculture Committee Expanded to Include Animal Welfare Concerns
The overwhelming passage of the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act known as Proposition 2 on November 4, 2008 was an indicator that the tides are turning in California in regards to public opinion towards animal welfare issues. To further the wave of progress and compassion, earlier this month in Sacramento, California Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez called a press conference to announce a change in focus and purpose for the newly-named Senate Committee on Food and Agriculture.
In a departure from the past, the Food and Agriculture Committee, now chaired by Senator Florez (D-Shafter), will not merely be held sway by “Big Agribusiness” and will concern itself with consumer-related issues such as food safety and the treatment of farm animals as well. Florez intends to balance the influence of the agriculture industry in the Senate with the concerns of consumers and emphasize oversight of the Department of Food and Agriculture. According to Florez, “Animal welfare issues will be very much at the forefront.”
An overhaul of agricultural legislation was long overdue in light of the exposé of the Hallmark Meat Packing Company in Chino which revealed widespread mistreatment of sick and injured animals and the practice of slaughtering “downed” cattle endangering the food supply of school lunchrooms in 2008. When Prop 2 was later introduced, Californians spoke out against the cruel confinement of over 20 million factory farm animals in the egg, veal and pork industries. Florez, already a proven proponent of strict food safety regulations, saw Proposition 2 as a “wake-up call” and an indication that the Legislature must pay closer attention to the public’s concerns about the humane treatment of farm animals.
The expanded mission of the committee has won the praise of the Center for Food Safety, the Humane Society of the United States, and many consumer groups. Wayne Pacelle, CEO of the HSUS, expresses that the new committee gives Californians “the prospect of participating in a robust examination of important policy matters.”
The Senate Committee on Food and Agriculture already has public hearings planned across the state to cover issues such as the use of non-therapeutic antibiotics in food-producing animals, sustainable farming, the use of synthetic fertilizers in certified organic produce, farm animal welfare and E. coli contamination. As the fifth largest supplier of food to the world, California has a responsibility to ensure the safety, sustainability and ethics of its agriculture.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Express your key animal welfare issues on the Committee’s official website at: CaliforniaSafeFood.com.
Vote in the poll on the homepage to let the Committee know that animal welfare is important to you.
Sources: Ventura County Star, The Humane Society of the United States, The Bakersfield Californian, CaliforniaSafeFood.com
Posted by Carrie Jones, Best Friends Network Volunteer
Photo by Carrie Jones