Vegan or not, it's important that we support the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act (PFACA). The bill was introduced to the House of Representatives last month by Reps. Diane Watson and Elton Gallegly of California, and has since picked up support in the House from states such as New York, Tennessee, New Hampshire, and even Texas.
Specifically banning battery cages, gestation crates and veal crates, the bill would prohibit the Federal government from purchasing food products from farms where animals are raised inhumanely. While this isn't an across-the-board ban, it's effects would be incredibly far reaching. The U.S. government spends over one billion dollars annually on food for the National School Lunch Program and the Armed Forces, among other programs. According to VegNews magazine, the government purchases over 100 million pounds of beef a year on the school lunch program alone. Yikes! One can imagine that enforcement of the proposed standards would effect nearly all the major factory farms in the U.S.
Why should we care? While we may disagree on whether farm-raised animals belong on our plates at all, it is hard to imagine that anyone wants to eat an animal who spent its short life stuck in a cage or a crate without the ability to turn around or even stand up. The passage of this bill will send an important message to farmers- the U.S. government will no longer ignore cruelty in the face of cost-efficiency.
The meat and dairy industries will undoubtedly be lobbying against this bill in full force, so it will need all the support it can get. Please ensure that we get a step closer to humane farming practices by contacting your representatives and letting them know you support the bill!
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