Comments on: Debunking animal activists

By: Becci

Becci — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 23:36:20 +0000

They’re probably going to be talking about how “research” shows that battery cage hens are actually happier and safer than birds that don’t spend their entire lives crammed next to 5 or 6 other chickens. Sigh.

By: JaegerMaister

JaegerMaister — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:39:29 +0000

Humanization of the animals is where this debate began! I think that animal ag has to do a better job of telling the production story and gaining the consumers empathy for the producer, not the animal. I think that is a key tactic for us to be successful in promoting animal agriculture and combating what the consumer sees as “reasonable” treatment of livestock. Now, don’t get me wrong, the consumer is always right and I am not advocating any kind of undue welfare for our livestock. I am simply describing a marketing strategy to combat your marketing strategy.

I think the workshop is going to teach farmers and producers how to communicate the production story so that consumers can connect with the people who produce their food.

I’m sure there will be press about it on June 20 so we’ll have to wait until then to see who was right!

By: Glenn

Glenn — Fri, 29 May 2009 18:47:28 +0000

I think that the talk will be more about how to promote large, intensive agriculture instead of farming that allows for animals to have any degree of freedom or engage in natural, instinctive behaviours. Obviously, requirements that have any of the animals’ interests at heart are seen as a threat, even though many small farms allow their animals to stand up, turn around, and stretch their wings.

You don’t need to engage in any sort of “humanization” of the animals involved to see that this is the right thing to do.

By: JaegerMaister

JaegerMaister — Fri, 29 May 2009 17:42:14 +0000

You are right! HSUS’s success with passing legislation is grounded by convincing the public of what is “reasonable” animal welfare. It is very easy to convince the public of this when talking about battery cages or gestation crates. The challenge to the industry is two fold, convince the public that we are policing ourselves to stop the most egregious acts and secondly to promote all the good benefits animal ag has for the community and the world.

In the end though, it is not about what HSUS believes and it is not about what animal agriculture believes it is about what the consumer believes. That is why we are training people to be agricultural activists, to convince the consumer and to stand up for agriculture.

I hope that the emphasis of this talk is to tell the good side of animal agriculture and how to humanize the producers not the animals with the public. I should be interesting, wish I could go.