Voters Demand Farm Animal Protections From Both Politicians and Companies
By Julia Jeanty and Grace Adcox
Consumers are increasingly factoring moral concern into what they’re putting on their dinner plates — whether it be concern surrounding how the food they eat affects the planet or ensuring that the animals they consume were raised in an ethical way — and both food producers and legislators are taking notice.
Recent Data for Progress polling shows that most voters are concerned about animal welfare, with 80 percent of likely voters stating that preventing animal cruelty is a matter of personal moral concern. This includes 83 percent of Democrats, 80 percent of Independents, and 77 percent of Republicans.
In 2018, California voters took a major step in addressing animal cruelty in the food sector by passing the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative (also known as Proposition 12, or Prop 12) into law. Prop 12 protects egg-laying chickens, veal calves, and mother pigs from a lifetime of cruel confinement. This landmark law implements some of the strongest animal welfare protections in the United States by prohibiting both the production and sale of eggs, pork, and veal from caged animals, no matter where the products were produced. The initiative passed in a landslide vote of nearly 63 percent and reflected the consumer demand for food products that do not result from unnecessary animal suffering. Under Prop 12, companies must meet minimum space standards, including giving animals under their care enough space to be able to stand up, lie down, turn around, and extend their limbs, in order to sell in California.
Not only is this law foundational for animal welfare reform, especially in a changing climate where extreme weather makes mass-raising livestock in close quarters more challenging, but Prop 12 is also extremely popular with likely voters. Across party lines, 80 percent of voters across the country support the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative, including 85 percent of Democrats, 81 percent of Independents, and 76 percent of Republicans.
A number of companies have already taken action to deliver on food products that minimize animal suffering, making public commitments to reform how their suppliers raise livestock such as egg-laying chickens. This is notable, as DFP polling indicates that a majority of Americans view buying cruelty-free animal products as important to them. Nearly four in five (79 percent) of respondents indicate it is “somewhat important” or “very important” that food companies only offer cruelty-free animal products for consumers.
Despite these commitments, however, some companies are not fulfilling these promises. A lack of transparency allowing consumers to track whether companies are actually protecting livestock from harm and exploitation has led some companies to profit despite their broken promises, misleading consumers into thinking they’re purchasing from producers that are not contributing to undue animal suffering. Voters overwhelmingly agree that companies that advertise that they’re switching to more humane products should be transparent about how they’re fulfilling their pledges. This support persists across party lines, with 84 percent of Democrats, 83 percent of Republicans, and 81 percent of Independents in agreement.
Additionally, dishonesty about sourcing fairly treated animals serves as a disincentive for voters to purchase from these companies. When asked about companies which fail to meet the standards for animal protection they advertise, an overwhelming majority of respondents (79 percent) indicate this dishonesty would make them think twice about purchasing from these companies (37 percent), or stop purchasing from them altogether (42 percent).
The Supreme Court is considering a lawsuit raised by the meat industry to overturn Prop 12. Opponents of the law argue that it makes interstate commerce more difficult, and that California is attempting to regulate farms outside of its own borders. A majority of voters, however, are in favor of their states adopting a law like Prop 12 to address confinement of animals in small cages in order to prevent animal cruelty, and protect public health and food safety. Eighty percent of voters indicate they would support a law to ban animal confinement in their state.
Reflecting on these findings, Josh Balk, vice president of farm animal protection at the Humane Society of the United States, says, “The polling results should be a warning for every food company that consumers are indeed taking corporate animal welfare policies seriously. Most critically, a company’s lack of follow through is a serious material risk for its bottom line.”
With the alternative proteins industry rising in prominence and global competitiveness — giving consumers diverse and truly cruelty-free alternatives to conventional animal protein options — companies have a newfound pressure to deliver food products that do not violate animal welfare considerations.
Julia Jeanty (@julia_jeanty) is the Policy Manager at Data for Progress.
Grace Adcox (@graceadcox) is a polling analyst at Data for Progress.