HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007 06 11 Consent 202 Resolution 2007-26 Regarding Animal Welfare
COMMISSION AGENDA
ITEM 202
Public Hearings
Regular
Consent X
Informational
~
June 11. 2007
Regular Meeting
Mgr. / Dept.
Authorization
REQUEST:
The City Manager is requesting that the City Commission hear a presentation by
Ms. Carla Wilson regarding Animal Welfare and approve Resolution Number
2007-26.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this Agenda Item is to hear a presentation by Ms. Carla Wilson
regarding Animal Welfare and approve a Resolution opposing the abusive factory
farming practice of the confinement of egg-laying hens in battery cages.
CONSIDERATIONS:
Ms. Carla Wilson has requested to address the City Commission on this issue and
would like to present some findings to the City Commission.
FUNDING:
None.
ATTACHMENTS:
A. Information from Ms. Carla Wilson.
B. Resolution Number 2007-26.
CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA
CITY COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING - JUNE 11, 2007
CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 202
PAGE 2 OF 2
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Commission approve Resolution 2007-26.
COMMISSION ACTION:
ATTACHMENT
"A"
May 16, 2007
Connnissioner Rick Brown
City Hall, City Of Winter Springs
1126 East State Road 434
Winter Springs, FL 32708
Dear Commissioner Bwwn,
I hope this letter finds you well. I have the support of Commissioner Sally McGinnis
for the City Council t{) introduce a resolution condemning the confinement ()f egg-
laying hens in battery cages. I very much appreciate your time and attention to the
serious animal welfare issue presented by battery cage egg production-an issue that
many Winter Springs residents are concerned about.
As you may know, about 95% of the roughly 300 million hens in the United States are
coofined in barren, wire battery ~ages so festri~tive the birds don't even have enough
space or spread their wings. With no opportunity to engage in many of their natural
behaviors-including nesting, dust bathing, perching, and foraging-these birds endure
lives WfQught with suffering. In fact, each hen is allotted less space than a single sheet
of paper in which to live out her entire life.
Though the abuses egg-laying hens endure are unsettling, there's hope that their lives
will soon improve. Several city governments in Florida, California and Maryland have
passed unanimous resolutions condemning the confinement of these birds in battery
cages, including New Port Richey, Florida. The resolution also urged residents of the
city ~ho purchase eggs not to buy eggs from caged hens.
Florida-based Bmger King has started using cage-free eggs. Whole Foods and Wild
Oats Marketplace exclusively sell eggs from cage-free hens, while Trader Joe's has the
same policy for its brand of eggs. Ben & Jeny's is also phasing in the exclusive use of
cage-free eggs. Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck is using cage-free eggs in his
restaurants, grocery store items and catering business. Bon Appetit Management
Company is implementing .an exclusive cage-free egg policy for all 200 of its clients.
Both AOL and Google only serve cage-free eggs in their company cafeterias. Omni
Hotels will only serve cage-free eggs to its guests, including their Florida locations.
Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration of this important matter. Enclosed you'll
find more information on why city councils across the country are passing resolutions similar to
the ~ thailiiiiiiii- I look fmward t{) w{)f!cing with y{)U. Please feel free to rontact me
anytnne at
Sin~erely,
Carla Wilson
7{}2 Heather Lane
Winter Springs, FL 32708
~
Battery Cage Egg Farms
Battery cages
prevent birds
from engaging
in many natural
behaviors,
including
walking.
Each shed
holds tens of
thousands of
birds, all caged
so intensively
they can't even
spread their
wings.
Promoting the protection of all animals
I
TATES.
2100 L Street, NW; Washington, DC 20037
202-452-1100. www.hsus.org
."
Birds who live in
battery cages
cannot spread
their wings,
nest, perch,
dust bathe,
or forage.
The cages are
often stacked
in rows four
tiers high,
running down
aisles more
than one foot-
ball-field long.
The top row is
not shown in
this photo.
Promoting the protection of all animals
I
TATES@
2100 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037
202-452-1100. www.hsus.org
..
--!
This photo was
taken from the
manure pit
below the
cages.
The battery
cage system
causes
enormous
suffering.
Promoting the protection of all animals
I
TATES@
2100 L Street, NW, Washington. DC 20037
202-452-1100. www.hsus.org
Farm Animal Welfare' The HSUS
2100 L St., NW. . Washington, DC 20037 . HSUS.org
202-452-1100' F: 301-258-3081' FarmAnimalWelfare.org
Scientists and Experts on Battery Cages and Laying Hen Welfare
An extensive body of scientific evidence confirms that birds confined in barren battery cages suffer immensely.
Compiled below are statements by leading welfare scientists and experts.
Dr. Ian Duncan
Department (~lAnimal and Poultry Science, University ~f Guelph, Canada
"Battery cages for laying hens have been shown (by me and others) to cause extreme frustration particularly
when the hen wants to lay an egg. Battery cages are being phased out in Europe and other more humane
husbandry systems are being developed."(l)
"Hens in battery cages are prevented from performing several natural behaviour patterns.. . . The biggest
source of frustration is undoubtedly the lack of nesting opportunity. "(2)
"The lack of space in battery cages reduces welfare by preventing hens from adopting certain postures-such
as an erect posture with the head raised-and performing particular behaviors-such as wing-flapping."(3)
"[T]raditional battery cages are not sufficiently high to allow hens to adopt the standing alert posture that is
very common in their repertoire."(4)
"In addition to restricting celiain behavior, the lack of space in a cage means that hens are crowded together.
All the indications are that, at commercial cage densities used in the North America (300-350 cm2 per bird in
the United States and 450 cm2 in Canada), welfare is decreased."(5) [Note: 300 to 350 square centimeters
approximates 46.5 to 54 square inches, and 450 square centimeters converts to 70 square inches.]
"[T]he difficulty of inspecting cages means that the welfare of the birds is at some risk."(6)
Dr. David Fraser, Animal Wel/cwe Program, University of British Columbia, Canada
Dr. Joy Mench, Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis
Dr. Suzanne Millman, Ontario Veterinary Collage at the University of Guelph, Canada
"The recommended space allowance for laying hens in some countries is 60-80 square inches per hen, barely
enough for the hen to turn around and not enough for her to perfonn normal comfort behaviors; however,
many hens are allowed less than even that meager amount."(7)
Dr. Joy Mench
Department ~l Animal Science at the University ~f California, Davis
"Battery cages provide an inadequate environment for nesting, lacking both sites which fit these criteria
[concealment and separation from other birds] as well as substrates for nest-building. Hens housed in battery
cages display agitated pacing and escape behaviors which last for 2 to 4 hours prior to oviposition [laying
eggs]. "(8)
Dr. Michael Appleby, Formerly with the Institute of Ecology and Resource Management at the
University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Dr. Joy Mench, Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis
Dr. Barry Hughes, Roslin Institute, United Kingdom
"Comfort movements such as preening, dust and water bathing, wing flapping and feather ruffling are
important to keep the plumage in good condition. The incidence ofthese behaviours is influenced by availabil-
ity of space and substrates. They decrease with crowding and are much less frequent in cages."(9)
"Even in small-scale terms, measurement of the area occupied by hens has shown that conventional battery
cages must restrict freedom of movement... .No other poultry production system is so restrictive of move-
ment as battery cages."(1 0)
"Frustration of nesting is a severe behavioural problem for hens in cages."( 11)
"The Five Freedoms.. . include freedom to express nonnal behaviour, and poultry may be frustrated in this
expression in various ways. Indeed, when hens are stocked at typical commercial densities in conventional
laying cages, they are not afforded even an earlier, much more modest list of five freedoms. The Brambell
Report.. . stated that 'an animal should at least have sufficient freedom of movement to be able without
difficulty to turn around, groom itself, get up, lie down and stretch its limbs.' Dawkins and Hardie (19S9)
demonstrated that hens in laying cages do no have such freedom... Furthermore, cages prevent or restrict
pre-laying behaviour, comfort behaviour, feeding and foraging, and dust bathing. Inability to perform nonnal
pre-laying behaviour...is generally regarded as one ofthe most important problems for the welfare of hens in
cages."(12)
"Conventional cages for laying hens have pervasive problems for welfare."(l3)
Dr. Michael Baxter
Formerly with the Agricultural Engineering Unit, Scottish Agricultural College
"The space available in a battery cage does not allow hens even to stand still in the way they would in a
more spacious environment. Some behaviours are completely inhibited by confinement in a cage causing a
progressive accumulation of motivation to perform the behaviours."(l4)
"When crowded together this regulatory system breaks down and the hens appear to be in a chronic state of
social stress, perpetually trying to get away from their cagemates, not able to express dominance relations by
means of spacing and not even able to resolve social conflict by means of aggression."(1S)
"[T]he frustration of nesting motivation is likely to cause significant suffering to the hen during the prelaying
period every day."(16)
"Hens without access to perches may have more welfare problems resulting from increased aggression,
reduced bone strength, impaired foot condition and higher feather loss."(17)
"The fact that hens are restricted from exercising to such an extent that they are unable to maintain the
strength of their bones is probably the greatest single indictment of the battery cage. The increased incidence
of bone breakage which results is a serious welfare insult."(1S)
Dr. John Webster
Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, England
"There is good evidence that laying hens experience frustration in the barren cage; most especially, the
frustration associated with their inability to select a suitable nesting site prior to laying their daily egg."( 19)
"[T]he un enriched battery cage simply does not meet the physiological and behavioural requirements of the
laying hen, which makes any quibbling about minimum requirements for floor space superfluous."(20)
FROM THE HSUS: Scientists and Experts on Battery Cages and Laying Hen Welfare
2
Dr. John Webster continued
'The main criticism of the unenriched cage, dating back to the Brambell report (Brambell, 1965) is that
imposes an unacceptably severe resttiction on the hens' ability to meet their behavioural needs for grooming,
stretching, wing-flapping, nest building, and litter bathing. Extreme confinement in barren wire cages also
predisposes to external injuries to feet and feathers, and exacerbates the development of osteoporosis,
leading to bone fractures and chronic pain."(21)
European Commission's Scientific Veterinary Committee
"Battery cage systems provide a barren environment for the birds....It is clear that because of its small size
and its barrenness, the battery cage as used at present has inherent severe disadvantages for the welfare of
hens."(22)
Dr. Konrad Lorenz
Nobel Prize winne,; author, and noted father of modern ethology
"The worst torture to which a battery hen is exposed is the inability to retire somewhere for the laying act.
For the person who knows something about animals it is truly heart-rending to watch how a chicken tries
again and again to crawl beneath her fellow-cage mates to search there in vain for cover."(23)
Dr. Marian Stamp Dawkins
Department of Zoologv. University of Oxford. England
"Chickens in battery cages which have wire floors and no loose substrate for the birds to scratch and dust
bathe in, can often be seen to go through all the motions of having a dust bath. They squat down, raise their
feathers, and rub themselves against the floor and flick imaginary dust from their backs. They behave as
though real dust were being moved through their feathers, but there is nothing really there. If such dust-
deprived birds are eventually given access to something in which they can have a real dust bath, like wood
shavings or peat, they go in for a complete orgy of dust bathing. They do it over and over again, apparently
making up for lost time.. .."(24)
Dr. Desmond Morris
Zoologist, author, and animal behaviourist
"Anyone who has studied the social life of birds carefully will know that theirs is a subtle and complex world,
where food and water are only a small pati of their behavioural needs. The brain of each bird is programmed
with a complicated set of drives and responses that set it on the path to a life full of special territorial, nesting,
roosting, grooming, parental, aggressive and sexual activities in addition to the simple feeding behaviour. All
these are denied the battery hens."(25)
Dr. Klaus Vestergaard
Department of Animal Science and Animal Health, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Denmark
"[T]he scientific results that have been accumulating over the last twelve years have supported the view that
the battery hen suffers unnecessarily and that the causes are inherent in the battery cage system. The task
during the years to come is therefore primarily to develop and test good alternative systems, rather than
trying to prove or disprove drawbacks and benefits of battery cage systems. "(26)
FROM THE HSUS: Scientists and Experts on Battery Cages and Laying Hen Welfare
3
Justice Rodger Bell
Judge on the High Court of Justice, United Kindgom
"I conclude that the battery system as described to me is cruel in respect of the almost total restraint of the
birds and the incidence of broken bones when they are taken for slaughter."(27)
Dr. Lesley Rogers
Professor of Zoology, University of New England, Australia
"Chickens in battery cages are cramped in overcrowded conditions. Apart from restricted movement, they have
few or no opportunities for decision-making and control over their own lives...These are just some examples
ofthe impoverishment oftheir environment. Others include abnormal levels of sensory or social stimulation
caused by excessive tactile contact with cage mates and continuous auditory stimulation produced by the
vocalizing of huge flocks housed in the same shed. Also, they have no access to dustbathing or nesting material.
Chickens experiencing such environmental conditions attempt to find ways to cope with them. Their
behavioural repertoire becomes directed towards self or cage mates and takes on abnormal patterns, such as
feather pecking or other stereotyped behaviours. These behaviours are used as indicators of stress in caged
animals."(28)
"In no way can these living conditions [battery cages] meet the demands of a complex nervous system
designed to form a multitude of memories and make complex decisions."(29)
Dr. Bernard Rollin
Department of Animal Science, Colorado State University
"Virtually all aspects of hen behavior are thwarted by battery cages: social behavior, nesting behavior, the
ability to move and flap wings, dustbathing, space requirements, scratching for food, exercise, pecking at
objects on the ground... .The most obvious problem is lack of exercise and natural movement. Under free-
range conditions, hens walk a great deal. Wing flapping, which is common in free-range animals, is also
prevented in cages. Comfort behavior is likewise truncated, as is leg stretching and preening. Research has
confirmed what common sense already knew-animals built to move must move."(30)
"Wire floors inhibit the ability of hens to dustbathe and to scratch and also violate their known preference for
litter before and during oviposition. Wire can also be responsible for soring and injury offeet and legs."(31)
"Battery cages are responsible for a variety of injuries, as birds are sometimes trapped in cages by the head
and neck, body and wings, toes and claws, or other areas. In addition, steep floors can cause foot deformi-
ties, and wire mesh can lead to feather wear."(32)
Dr. R.B. Jones
Welfare Biology Group, Roslin Institute, Edinburgh, Scotland
"Rearing chickens in impoverished environments leads to apathy, boredom, fear, and abnormal, often harmful
behaviors.. ..Despite this, they are often housed in baITen or inappropriate environments that provide little to
occupy their interests."(33)
c.c. Whitehead
Roslin Institute, Edinburgh, Scotland
"Keeping birds in alternative husbandry systems that allow them more opportunity for exercise can markedly
decrease the severity of osteoporosis."(34)
FROM THE HSUS: Scientists and Experts on Battery Cages and Laying Hen Welfare
4
References
1. Duncan lJH. Letter dated June 25, 2003, to Dr. Nancy Halpern, New Jersey Department of Agriculture.
2. Duncan IJH. 2001. The pros and cons of cages. World's Poultry Science Journal 57:385.
3. Duncan IJH. 1998. Thirty years of progress in animal welfare science. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare
Science I: 151-4.
4. Duncan IJH. 2004. Welfare problems of poultry. In: Benson GJ and Rollin BE (eds.), The Well-Being of
Fann Animals: Challenges and Solutions (Ames, IA: Blackwell, pp. 312).
5. Ibid.,313.
6. Duncan IJH. 2001. op. ciL, 383.
7. Fraser D, Mench J, and Millman S. 2001. Farm animals and their welfare in 2000. In: State of the Animals
2001 (Washington, D.C.: Humane Society Press, p. 93-4).
8. Mench 1. 1992. The welfare of poultry in modem production systems. Poultry Science Review 4: 112.
9. Appleby MC, Mench JA, and Hughes BO. 2004. Poultry Behaviour and Welfare (Wallingford, England:
CAB! Publishing, p. 46).
10. Ibid., 60.
II. Ibid., 112.
12. Ibid., 140.
13. Ibid., 161.
14. Baxter M. 1994. The welfare problems of laying hens in battery cages. The Veterinary Record 134:617.
IS. Ibid., 618.
16. Ibid.
17. Ibid.,615.
18. Ibid.,618.
19. Webster 1. 2005. Animal Welfare: Limping Towards Eden (Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, p. 14).
20. Ibid., 120.
21. Ibid., 121.
22. Scientific Veterinary Committee Animal Welfare Section. 1996. The welfare oflaying hens. For the Euro-
pean Commission; Report nr Doc VI/B/l1.2. europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/oldcomm4/out33_en.pdf, p. 109.
23. Lorenz K. 1980. Animals are sentient beings: Konrad Lorenz on instinct and modem factory farming. Der
Spiegel. November 17, 1980, Volume 34, No. 47, p. 264.
24. Dawkins MS. 1998. Through Our Eyes Only? The Search for Animal Consciousness (Oxford: Oxford
University Press, p. 154).
25. Druce C and Lymbery P. 2002. Outlawed in Europe: How America Is Falling Behind Europe in Farm Animal
Welfare (New York: Archimedean Press, p. 20).
26. Ibid., p. 21.
27. Chief Justice Bell in Verdict Section 8, "The Rearing and Slaughtering of Animals," McDonald libel case,
The High Court, London, July 1997.
28. Rogers LJ. 1995. The Development of Brain and Behaviour in the Chicken (Wallingford, England: CABI
Publishing, p. 219).
29. Ibid.,218.
30. Rollin BE. 1995. Fann Animal Welfare: Social, Bioethical, and Research Issues (Ames, Iowa: Iowa State
Press, p. 120).
31. Ibid., 126.
32. Ibid.
33. Jones RB. 2004. Environmental enrichment: the need for practical strategies to improve poultry welfare. In:
Perry GC (ed.), Welfare of the Laying Hen (Cambridge, MA: CABI Publishing, 216).
34. Whitehead Cc. 2004. Skeletal disorders in laying hens: the problem of osteoporosis and bone fractures. In:
Perry GC (ed.), Welfare of the Laying Hen (Cambridge, MA: CAB I Publishing, 259).
FROM THE HSUS: Scientists and Experts on Battery Cages and Laying Hen Welfare
5
CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS RESOLUTION # 2001- 2Jp
S4A/Plt
Opposing the Abusive Factory Farming Practice of the Confinement of
Egg-Laying Hens in Battery Cages
Whereas, Animal welfare organizations and the media have illuminated the cruel and
inhumane treatment of egg-laying hens confined in factory farm battery cages; and
Whereas, About 95% of the roughly 300 million hens in the United States are confined
in barren, wire battery cages so restrictive the birds don't even have enough space to
spread their wings. With no opportunity to engage in many of their natural behaviors-
including nesting, dust bathing, perching, and foraging-these birds endure lives
wrought with suffering. In fact, each hen has less space than a single sheet of paper in
which to live out her entire life; and
Whereas, Many countries, including Austria, Germany, and Switzerland have banned
the use of battery cages for egg-laying hens; and
Whereas, city governments in the United States have passed resolutions opposing this
factory farming abuse, including New Port Richey, Florida; and
Whereas, Florida retail giants Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace
exclusively sell eggs from cage-free hens, while Trader Joe's has the same policy for its
brand of eggs. Florida-based Burger King has started using cage-free eggs. Ben &
Jerry's is also phasing in the exclusive use of cage-free eggs. Celebrity chef Wolfgang
Puck made a company-wide decision to only use cage-free eggs in his restaurants,
grocery store items and catering business. Bon Appetit Management Company is
implementing an exclusive cage-free egg policy for all 200 of its clients, including the
corporate cafeterias of Adidas, Best Buy, Yahoo!, and Nordstrom. Both AOL and Google
only serve cage-free eggs in their company cafeterias; and
Whereas, Scores of universities in the United States have enacted policies to eliminate
or dramatically reduce their use of eggs from caged hens; and
Whereas, Cage-free egg farms generally provide egg-laying hens with a higher level of
welfare than battery cage facilities; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA, opposes battery cage egg production, based on the
inherent cruelty of confining egg-laying hens in battery cages; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the City Council encourages consumers of eggs
not to purchase eggs produced by caged hens.
Adopted this
day of
2007
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City Opposes Cruel Cagin'g Of Chickens
By CHRISTIAN M. WADE Published: Mar 8, 2007
NEW PORT RICHEY - The city council has passed a resolution opposing the use of battery cages for egg-
laying hens, becoming one of three cities in the nation to take a stand against the practice.
The move, approved unanimously Tuesday night, thrusts the city into the worldwide debate over a practice
that animal rights groups say is cruel and inhumane.
The action doesn't ban battery cages or egg sales; it urges consumers not to buy from farms that employ a
method that's widespread in the poultry industry.
"I don't think this will affect any hens within the city limits," said Councilwoman Ginny Miller, who sponsored
the resolution.
Jodi Chemes, a city resident who has researched conditions in battery cage barns, had asked council
members to take a stand.
"There's no fiscal impact, and the resolution is nonbinding," she said.
Alyson. Bodai, an outreach coordihator for the Humane Society of the United States, said battery cages are
stacked on top of one another in factories that can hold100,QOO birds. The cages are so small that hens do
not have room to stand up or spread their wings, she said.
"It's an egregious form of abuse that must be stopped,;' she said,
The advocacy group United Egg Produoers has passed animal care guidelines that about 80 percent of the
industry has embraced, according to www.unitedeqq.orq.
''The guidelines place top priority on the comfort, health and safety of the chickens," the site states, and they
call for more cage space per hen, "which is being phased in to avoid market disruptions."
The other two U.S. cities that have passed resolutions against battery cages are Tacoma Park, Md" and
West Hollywood, Calif.
Retailers including Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Trader Joe's, and Ben & Jerry's have ended or decreased their
use of cage eggs.
In 1999, the European Union voted to phase out the use of battery cages on factory farms across the
continent by 2012.
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Motion Opposes Chicken Cages
Activists opposes the practice of keeping chickens in cages like these
By LORENA FERNANDEZ 25.JAN.07
Officials express support despite the city's lack of farmland.
Actress Alicia Silverstone sent a message of support for the West Hollywood City Council on Jan.
16. "Egg-laying hens who are confined in battery cages suffer from a long list of animal welfare
problems," she said in a statement read by Connie King, a local animal rights supporter.
The City Council passed a non-binding resolution to oppose abusive factory farming practices
related to the production of eggs as part of the consent calendar items of the Jan. 16 regular
council meeting.
Initiated by Councilman Jeffrey Prang, the idea to create a resolution came from members of the
community. "A neighbor of mine asked me about it," Prang said in a recent interview, adding that
while he didn't know about confinement of egg-laying hens specifically, he is aware of the abuses
of factory farming
mbeWasbington Jlost
- In Takoma Park, Stance On Eggs Is Over Easy
Vote Against Caged Hens Is Unanimous
By Jennifer Lenhart
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, October 19,2006; GZO 1
Takoma Park has become the first city in the country to take an official stand against the
practice of housing egg-laying hens in batteries of cramped cages, a practice 'that is
widespread in the poultry industry, city officials said.
The resolution, which was passed last week in a unanimous vote of the Takoma Park City
Council, declares that the city opposes the use of the cages and urges residents of the
liberal enclave in eastern Montgomery County not to buy eggs produced under those
conditions.
The action by the City Council is not a ban on the sale of eggs from battery-cage hens,
council member Bruce Williams said. City officials are not empowered to take such a
broad action, he said.
"What we did was basically, as a pubIiceducation effort, say to people that they should
know that this is going on," said Williams, who sponsored the measure. "It's saying, 'We
encourage you to only buy eggs that are not produced by battery-caged chickens;' " A
spokesman for United Egg Producers, an industry lobbying group, said it supports
consumer choice in buying eggs.
lilt's rather interesting that they would encourage retail stores to carry eggs that cost
anywhere from two to three times more than regular eggs," said Gene Gregory, senior
vice president for United Egg Producers. "We believe in consumer choice and we believe
consumers should have the right to purchase what they want and not be legislated or
mandated or encouraged by city councilor anyone else to pay more for eggs;"
E-mails from people who support the decision have arrived in a steady stream since the
council passed the resolution, said Williams, the representative for the city's 3rd Ward.
One e-mail addressed to council members began: "I just wanted to take a moment to
thank you for the important and precedent-setting step you took to pass the resolution
condemning battery cages."
The writer, Lori Prantil, is responsible for food services as manager of business services
at AOL. The company decided earlier this year to "only offer cage-free eggs in our
establishments. I am so thrilled to hear that [this] type of measure is extending to local
governments. "
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http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/28/business/28burqer.html
March 28, 2007
Burger King Shifts Policy on Animals
By ANDREW MARTIN
In what animalwelfare advocates are describing as a "historic advance," Burger
King, the world's second-largest hamburger chain, said yesterday that it would
begin buying eggs and pork from suppliers that did not confine their animals in
cages and crates.
The company said that it would also favor suppliers of chickens that use gas, or
"controlled-atmospheric stunning," rather than electric shocks to knock birds
unconscious before slaughter. It is considered a more humane method, though
only a handful of slaughterhouses use it.
The goal for the next few months, Burger King said is for 2 percent of its eggs to
be "cage free," and for 1 0 percent of its pork to come from farms that allow sows
to move around inside pens, rather than being confined to crates. The company
said those percentages would rise as more farmers shift to these methods and
more competitively priced supplies become available.
While Burger King's initial goals may be modest, food marketing experts and
animal we/fare advocates said yesterday that the shift would put pressure on
other restaurant and food companies to adopt similar practices.
"/ think the whole area of social responsibility, social consciousness, is becoming
much more important to the consumer," said Bob Goldin, executive vice
president of Technomic, a food industry research and consulting firm. "I think that
the industry is going to see that it's an increasing imperative to get on that
bandwagon."
Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive of the Humane Society of the
United States, said Burger King's initiatives put it ahead of its competitors in
terms of animal welfare.
"That's an important trigger for reform throughout the entire industry," Mr. Pacelle
said.
The changes were made after discussions with the Humane Society and People
for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, known as PET A.
PETA, in particular, has started a series of high-profile campaigns to pressure
fast-food companies to change their animal welfare practices, including a
"Murder King" campaign that ended in 2001 when Burger King agreed to improve
its animal welfare standards to include, among other things, periodic animal
welfare audits.
Since that time, PETA officials said they had met periodically with Burger King
officials to encourage them to adopt tougher standards. About a year ago, the
Humane Society began its own efforts to encourage Burger King to improve its
farm animal standards.
. .
Mr. Grover said his company listened to suggestions from both groups, but
ultimately relied on the advice of its animal welfare advisory board, which was
created about six years ago and includes academics, an animal welfare
advocate, an executive of Tyson Foods and Burger King officials.
"Where we think we can support what our animal advisers think is right, we do it,"
Mr. Grover said.
The changes apply to Burger King suppliers in North America and Canada,
where the chain purchases more than 40 million pounds of eggs a year and 35
million pounds of pork, he said.
A reason that such a small percentage of purchases will meet the new guidelines
is a lack of supply, Mr. Grover said. Burger King plans to more than double its
cage-free purchases by the end of this year, to 5 percent of the total, and will
also double its purchases of pork from producers who do not use crates, to 20
percent.
The cage-free eggs and crate-free pork will cost more, although it is not clear
exactly how much because Burger King is still negotiating prices, Mr. Grover
said. Prices of food at Burger King restaurants will not be increased as a result,
he said.
Most laying hens in the United States are raised in "battery cages," which are
usually stacked on top of each other three to four cages high. Sows, during their
pregnancies, are often kept in gestation crates, which are 24 inches across and 7
feet long.
Matt Prescott, PET A's manager for factory farm campaigns, argued that both
confinement systems were filthy and cruel because the animals could barely
move and were prone to injury and psychological stress.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2 007/03/22/ dining122 puck.html
March 22, 2007
Celebrity Chef Announces Strict
Animal-Welfare Policy
By KIM SEVERSON
Wolfgang Puck, the Los Angeles chef whose culinary empire ranges from
celebrity dinners at Spago to a line of canned soups, said yesterday
that he would use eggs and meat only from animals raised under strict
humane standards.
With the announcement, Mr. Puck has joined a small group of top chefs
around the country who refuse to serve foie gras, the fattened liver of
ducks and geese. But Mr. Puck, working with the Humane Society of the
United States, has taken his interest in animal welfare beyond ducks.
He has directed his three companies, which together fed more than 10
million people in 2006, to buy eggs only from chickens not confined to
small cages. Veal and pork will come from farms where animals are not
confined in crates, and poultry meat will be bought from farmers using
animal welfare standards higher than those put forth by the nation's
largest chicken and turkey producers. Mr. Puck has also vowed to use
only seafood whose harvest does not endanger the environment or deplete
stocks.
"We decided about three months ago to be really much more socially
responsible," he said in a telephone interview from Los Angeles. "We
feel the quality of the food is better, and our conscience feels
better. "
Many chefs at high-end restaurants, some smaller food-service chains and
grocery chains like Whole Foods have refused to buy meat and eggs unless
animals are raised under certain conditions. In 2000, McDonald's became
the first American food company to impose minimum animal-welfare
standards, like increasing cage size, on its egg producers. But Mr.
Puck's program goes much further than most corporate animal-welfare
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Ben & Jerry's will switch to cage-free eggs
Victoria Welch
September 27, 2006 Section: News Edition: 01 Page: 01A
Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc. alll10unced Tuesday that it is the first U.S. national food
manufacturer to pledge to use only "certified humane" cage-free eggs in its products.
Company officials said the Vermont company plans to begin a four-year plan to
transition to cage-free egg use in January.
The alll10uncement came about a month and a half after a national animal protection
organization spoke out against Ben & Jerry's, claiming the ice cream maker bought eggs
produced by hens cooped in tight cages. That practice, according to the Humane Society
of the United States, belied Ben & Jerry's reputation as a leader in adopting socially and
environmentally conscious business practices.
Walt Freese, Ben & Jerry's CEO, said Monday that company officials and employees
were ready to embrace the cage-free approach.
"We're very excited to reach the point where we can make this commitment," Freese said.
"Ben and Jerry started the tradition and we're trying to uphold it."
Paul Shapiro, spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based Humane Society of the United
States, said his organization was thrilled with the announcement.
"Ben & Jerry's is a company known for its socially responsible decisions, so we didn't
have much doubt that it would come around and take the steps that it is taking," Shapiro
said. "We want to. enthusiastically applaud the company."
Until August, Ben & Jerry's purchased the eggs used in its ice cream and frozen yogurt
products from Michael Foods Inc., a Minnesota food service company. That month, the
Humane Society released a report that outlined an undercover investigation of Michael
Foods hen-care practices. The organization said it found that hens died of dehydration
and starvation, that dead birds were kept in cages with live ones and that the cages were
too small for birds to spread their wings.
Shortly thereafter, Ben & Jerry's announced plans to sever ties with Michael Foods.
Freese said at the time that the company would use eggs from producers that met industry
itl)e..altrtUtll News
MercuryNews.com
Google uses clout to free hens
Firm to buy cage-free eggs for sake of animal welfare
By Paul Rogers
May 11, 2006
Google, which makes billions of dollars helping computer users navigate the Internet, will turn its
attention today to something completely different:
Eggs.
In a growing animal welfare trend that is being embraced by natural foods markets, universities and
technology companies, Google officials plan to announce their employee cafeterias will no longer
serve eggs that come from hens crammed into small cages.
While that may sound like a small thing, Google employs roughly 6,000 workers, consumes about
300,000 eggs a year and uses 7,000 pounds ofliquid egg products in its baking and cooking. By
year end, the company will have 12 cafes on its Mountain View campus.
Animal rights groups. urged the switch, noting that at many large farms, six or more hens are
confined in a single wire cage. For 12 to 18 months they cannot flap their wings or forage for food,
and egg industry guidelines require only 67 square inches of space for each bird to live out its life --
an area two-thirds the size of a sheet of notebook paper.
"This is a matter of common decency," said Paul Shapiro, director of the factory-farming campaign
at the Humane Society of the United States, in Washington D.C. "These animals are completely at
our mercy. It should be a source of shame for us how miserably we treat them."
The egg campaign, championed by the Humane Society, is the 2006 version of previous efforts by
environmental and animal rights groups to steer shoppers toward socially responsible food choices.
In recent years they have urged consumers not to buy certain types of tuna or swordfish because of
overfishing; veal, because calves are confined in tight pens; or vegetables and fruits grown with
pesticides.
Google officials say the decision is part of a wider effort to incorporate environmental and social
values into food choices.
"We're happy to do it," said John Dickman, Google's global food services manager. "There's a
ripple effect that I think will happen. Other companies also will want to ensure humane treatment of
animals."
ATTACHMENT
"B"
RESOLUTION NUMBER 2007-26
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA OPPOSING
THE ABUSIVE FACTORY FARMING PRACTICE OF
THE CONFINEMENT OF EGG-LAYING HENS IN
BATTERY CAGES.
WHEREAS, Animal Welfare organizations and the media have illuminated the
cruel and inhumane treatment of egg-laying hens confined in factory farm battery cages;
and
WHEREAS, About 95% of the roughly 300 million hens in the United States are
confined in barren, wire battery cages so restrictive that birds do not even have enough
space to spread their wings. With no opportunity to engage in many of their natural
behaviors; these birds endure lives wrought with suffering. In fact, each hen has less
space than a single piece of paper in which to live out her entire life; and
WHEREAS, City governments in the United States have passed Resolutions
opposing this factory farming abuse, including New Port Richey, Florida; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION I - That we oppose battery cage egg production, based on the inherent
cruelty of confining egg-laying hens in battery cages; and
SECTION II - That we encourage consumers of eggs not to purchase eggs
produced by caged hens.
ADOPTED by the City Commission of the City of Winter Springs, Florida, in a
Regular Meeting assembled on the 11th day of June, 2007.
JOHN F. BUSH, Mayor
ATTEST:
ANDREA LORENZO-LUACES, City Clerk
Approved as to legal form and sufficiency for
The City of Winter Springs, Florida only:
ANTHONY A. GARGANESE, City Attorney
RESOLUTION NUMBER 2007-26
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA OPPOSING
THE ABUSIVE FACTORY FARMING PRACTICE OF
THE CONFINEMENT OF EGG-LAYING HENS IN
BATTERY CAGES.
WHEREAS, Animal Welfare organizations and the media have illuminated the
cruel and inhumane treatment of egg-laying hens confined in factory farm battery cages;
and
WHEREAS, About 95% of the roughly 300 million hens in the United States are
confined in barren, wire battery cages so restrictive that birds do not even have enough
space to spread their wings. With no opportunity to engage in many of their natural
behaviors; these birds endure lives wrought with suffering. In fact, each hen has less
space than a single piece of paper in which to live out her entire life; and
WHEREAS, City governments in the United States have passed Resolutions
opposing this factory farming abuse, including New Port Richey, Florida; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION I - That we oppose battery cage egg production, based on the inherent
cruelty of confining egg-laying hens in battery cages; and
SECTION II - That we encourage consumers of eggs not to purchase eggs
produced by caged hens.
ADOPTED by the City Commission of the City of Winter Springs, Florida, in a
Regular Meeting assembled on the 11 th day of June, 2007.
l:~
~A LORENZO-LUACES, City Clerk
gal form and sufficiency for
r Springs, Florida only:
AN