Humane Society
Class warfare alleged in Massachusetts animal-welfare referendum
The upcoming Massachusetts referendum on animal welfare standards - requiring more space for poultry, pigs and calves - boils down to "a class thing," says the executive director of a group that is challenging the proposal in court.
Walmart joins cage-free egg parade
Mammoth retailer Walmart, also the largest U.S. grocer, said it will shift to cage-free eggs "based on available supply, affordability and customer demand by 2025." The transition applies to Walmart and Sam's Club stores and was the latest in a string of announcements by food chains.
‘Right to farm’ amendment advances in Nebraska legislature
A proposal for a "right to farm" constitutional amendment appears headed for debate in Nebraska's unicameral legislature, says the Lincoln Journal-Star.
Kroger says it will sell only cage-free eggs by 2025
The supermarket chain Kroger says 15 percent of the eggs it sold in 2015 were cage-free. "As our customer base has been moving to cage-free at an increasing rate, Kroger’s goal is to transition to a 100% cage-free egg supply chain by 2025," the grocer said in an announcement.
Petition drive for Bay State vote on animal welfare
The Humane Society of the United States and its allies launched a drive for a statewide referendum in the 2016 general election that would require that any animal raised or sold for consumption in Massachusetts be able to lie down, stand up, fully extend its limbs, and turn around freely, says Civil Eats.
U.S. appeals court overturns dismissal of pork checkoff suit
The U.S. appeals court in Washington "is breathing new life into a previously dismissed lawsuit alleging pork checkoff funds were indirectly used to benefit the lobbying efforts of the National Pork Producers Council," said Agri-Pulse.
General Mills sets long-term goal of cage-free eggs
Foodmaker General Mills announced it will stop buying eggs that come from caged hens, says CNN. The company did not say when it would make the switch.
North Carolina legislature enacts “ag gag” law over veto
The North Carolina Legislature decisively overrode a gubernatorial veto to enact "a bill aimed at discouraging undercover investigations of farm and workplace conditions," reports the Charlotte Observer.
Lawsuit seeks US air pollution limits on large livestock farms
Five environmental, animal welfare and community organizations filed suit in federal district court in Washington, DC, to force EPA to set air pollution standards for large livestock farms.
Lawsuit challenges FDA on drug used to fatten food animals
A lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco challenges FDA approval of several ractopamine-based animal drugs. The Humane Society of the United States, the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the United Farm Workers union says...
US judge dismisses challenge of California egg law
U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller dismissed a lawsuit by six egg-producing states to overturn a California law that says eggs sold to its citizens can come only from hens given enough room to stand up, lay down, turn around and fully extend their wings. The 2010 law imposes the same standard on eggs imported for sale in California as a 2008 referendum put on the state's egg farmers.
Cargill to end use of sow crates by 2017
In response to customer pressure, Cargill "intends to phase out all individual stalls from its...hog production system by the end of 2017," says the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
New Jersey law bans sow crates and veal-calf stalls
Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law legislation banning sow crates and veal-calf stalls that severely restrict the movements of the animals in New Jersey, saying it would ensure humane farming practices. New Jersey is the 15th state to ban sow crates, veal stalls, or "battery" cages for egg-laying hens, said the Humane Society of the United States, which fought for the legislation for years.