Recent polls show that an overwhelming majority of voters across the nation oppose the cruel confinement and abuse of farmed animals, highlighting the importance of our push to end these practices.

Poll numbers released by Data For Progress show that most voters, regardless of political affiliation, are taking a second look at how their food choices affect the animals who end up on their plates. According to the poll, 80 percent of likely voters polled across the U.S. are morally concerned about preventing cruelty to farmed animals. 

The Prevention of Cruelty to Farm Animal Act, also known as Proposition 12, is a historic law that was passed in California in 2018 which sets protections for specific animals on factory farms, protecting these animals from the cruelty of intensive confinement practices. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear challenges regarding Prop 12 brought about by two industrial farming groups later this year, but recent polls suggest that Americans not only support the law, but would like to see it extended throughout the country.

When asked if they supported or opposed the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative, 80 percent of all voters polled said they supported the initiative, with an additional 80 percent of voters polled indicating they would support a law similar to Prop 12 in their state.

Despite the strong support of Prop 12 by California citizens, President Biden and his administration ignored the will of the voters and have challenged the dismissal of a lawsuit brought about by pork producers who say the law makes commerce between states too difficult. The administration has asked the Supreme Court to reinstate the lawsuit under the argument that the suit should not have been dismissed in the first place. 

Prop 12 bans the import of products, including meat and shell and liquid eggs, into California that are produced on farms that do not abide by the new standards set by the law. The lawsuit brought by the National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation argues that Prop 12 is in violation of the “dormant Commerce Clause,” which prevents states from passing laws that discriminate against businesses in other states, claiming it creates a large financial burden requiring farms across the nation to upgrade their operations to meet standards that would allow them to export their products to California.

For pigs, in particular, Prop 12 bans extreme confinement which includes the use of gestation crates: cages so narrow that a pregnant mother pig can’t turn around or move forward and backward. Female pigs are horrifically confined to these cages for the entirety of their pregnancies, on concrete floors, their space devoid of any enrichment, often leading them to gnaw on the cage bars until their mouths bleed, only to have their babies ripped from their mothers once they are born.

We are actively working as part of various coalitions to influence decision-makers to not only strengthen Prop 12 in California, but to propose legislation across the nation that would vastly improve the lives of farmed animals. Want to make an immediate impact in your life and those of famed animals? This is the perfect time for you to choose compassion by leaving animals off your plate! 

Donations to support our work to raise the awareness levels of the public about the cruel realities involved in the raising and killing of animals for their flesh - including chickens and fish, who are especially undervalued as individuals - are always appreciated.