© Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Post-GazetteIn 2018, Californians voted in favor of a state bill that would have partially banned the sale of pork in California unless it was produced under more humane barn-raising laws. The state's pork industry sued, arguing that the law violated the Constitution's Commerce Clause because it affected the state's producers and consumers, not just Californians.
Challenges to the law have so far been rejected first by the courts and then by the Ninth Circuit Court. Now the case has reached the US Supreme Court. In this case, National Council of Pork Producers v. Ros, I heard last October. The court will issue its decision this spring.
Is this law really necessary? Should countries like ours adopt the same laws?
Yes and yes Of course, most California voters think so. The cages that keep these animals are narrow, so narrow that the hens can hardly move. The conditions are polluted, the pigs are psychologically and physically damaged. This method of raising pigs is inhumane.
Most of us would be ashamed to see such intelligent animals as our beloved cats and dogs treated like this. The pig's intelligence is well documented. They have complex abilities to play, socialize, relate to people, solve problems and learn. In fact, many countries and even 10 US states have banned or are about to ban birth boxes because they are inhumane.
Pigs like Baba Yaga pictured above. She and her "boyfriend" are about to be sent to the slaughterhouse after their owners decide not to breed. Someone convinced the owner to give him up to Pittsburgh Squealers Rescue. Rescued, he thrives, lives like a pig, plays with other pigs, stretches his legs and breathes fresh air.
Apparently, there is no need to worry about the welfare of these creatures to support California's decision to pass Proposition 12. In 2019 and 2020, wet markets in China were recognized by many as potential breeding grounds for zoonotic diseases. since these animals are kept in cramped and dirty cages, they can be transmitted to humans. Pig litter boxes are no better.
The trapped pigs were also sleeping on straw, unable to stand up, move to go to the toilet or even turn around to avoid injury. This condition weakens the immune system of pigs and pigs, increasing their susceptibility to zoonotic diseases. These pathogens can go unnoticed and the meat is sold to unsuspecting consumers.
And the risk of diseases for people working in these conditions is exponentially higher. Cleaning these areas, when it happens, exposes agricultural workers to all the bacteria, including viruses, that grow in these dirty indoor spaces. That's bad for them and the people they come into contact with.
Some may look at the title of this case, "National Pork Producers Council et al," and think that this law places an unnecessary burden on hog farmers or other people who raise livestock, especially here in Pennsylvania. he wants to sell the pork abroad.
The answer is probably no. In a report to SCOTUS, two professors of agricultural and resource economics at UC Davis explained that pork producers' main economic arguments are "false and without foundation" because the law "does not require any pork producer to comply with its provisions." Pennsylvania farmers seem to be out of the woods.
But while we're at it, many private companies have pledged not to sell pregnant pigs and require non-pregnant pigs from their pig suppliers. Clearly, there is a consumer mandate for producers to treat pigs more humanely with ethical and health considerations in mind. This mandate ensures that producers engaged in human agriculture are economically viable.
If Baba Yaga excites you like our friends at Pittsburgh Squealers Rescue; if you take care of the clean working conditions of those who work with these animals; if you want to avoid a pandemic that starts with a zoonotic disease; if you want to know that the meat you eat comes from pigs raised in clean and safe conditions; or even if you simply believe that California voters have the right to decide what conditions are acceptable for meat sold in grocery stores; I hope you'll join me in following the SCOTUS decision, and if it becomes law, try to pass our Proposition 12 in your state legislature.
Natalie Ahwesh is the executive director of Humane Action Pittsburgh and director of government affairs for Animal Wellness Action. Previous Article No animal testing is required. Hannah Lewis, author of HAP Grants, and Kate Schultz, senior attorney at Animal Wellness Action, contributed to this article.
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