Increasingly more consumers are rightfully concerned and confused about the treatment of hens used for egg production. Labels of "Cage Free", "Organically Raised", "Free Range Hens" abound, yet often are meaningless, as numerous horrifying exposes revealed. A recent news story in The New York Times about Pleasant Valley Farms, a certified humane cage-free egg farm in Farmington, CA that supplies Costco, is but one example of how companies who care nothing about animal welfare use the vagaries of language and lack of strictly, clearly outlined legal labelling requirements to get around cheap and abusive conditions so to maximize sales from unsuspecting people who think they are supporting ethical poultry businesses.
Please urge your local congress person and senator to sponsor legislation to make labeling regarding what qualifies as "cage free", "free range" and "organic" extremely specific, unequivocal, and to to also include those conditions which would NOT qualify as cage free.
Chickens have been clearly demonstrated to be sentient animals, capable of even forming close affectionate bonds with humans as anyone living in rural areas can attest. They deserve caring, humane living conditions. Consumers want and deserve to know what they are buying. Those in the poultry business need to be held accountable for any claims of humane treatment, regularly inspected, and prosecuted meaningfully when they are found to be fraudulent to those claims.
Dear Congress Person/Senator,
Please introduce and sponsor legislation to make labeling regarding what qualifies as "cage free", "free range" and "organic" extremely specific, unequivocal, and to to also include those conditions which would NOT qualify as cage free.
Increasingly more consumers are rightfully concerned and confused about the treatment of hens used for egg production. Labels of "Cage Free", "Organically Raised", "Free Range Hens" abound, yet often are meaningless, as numerous horrifying exposes revealed. A recent news story in The New York Times about Pleasant Valley Farms, a certified humane cage-free egg farm in Farmington, CA that supplies Costco, is but one example of how companies who care nothing about animal welfare use the vagaries of language and lack of strictly, clearly outlined legal labelling requirements to get around cheap and abusive conditions so to maximize sales from unsuspecting people who think they are supporting ethical poultry businesses.
Chickens have been clearly demonstrated to be sentient animals, capable of even forming close affectionate bonds with humans as anyone living in rural areas can attest. They deserve caring, humane living conditions. Consumers want and deserve to know what they are buying. Those in the poultry business need to be held accountable for any claims of humane treatment, regularly inspected, and prosecuted meaningfully when they are found to be fraudulent to those claims.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Signed;
