Egg producers, HSUS historic agreement: News articles Egg industry, Humane Society propose cage laws Animal welfare pact would double space for U.S. hens (Reuters) - U.S. egg farmers would give hens twice as much space as they now have under an agreement with an animal welfare group on Thursday that would be written into federal law and end years of state-by-state battles. It would be the first federal law on treatment of animals on the farm, said the groups. At the moment, no legislation has been filed in Congress to enact the agreement. By Elizabeth Campbell July 7, 2011 3:29 PM ET The Humane Society of the U.S. and the United Egg Producers said they agreed to urge U.S. lawmakers to enact national standards for the treatment and living conditions of hens, including more cage space. The agreement calls for new “enriched housing systems” that offer nearly double the amount of space provided for birds in conventional cages used in more than 90 percent of the egg- producing industry, the groups said today in a joint statement. The change will cost the industry $4 billion over the next 15 years, according to the groups. The New York Times: Egg Producers and Humane Society Urging Federal Standard on Hen Cages By WILLIAM NEUMAN Published: July 7, 2011 Two groups that are usually squawking at each other — egg farmers and animal welfare advocates — announced an unusual agreement on Thursday to work together to seek a federal law that would require larger cages and other improved conditions for the nation’s 280 million laying hens. Los Angeles Times: Better housing for hens may mean higher prices for eggs July 7, 2011 If animal welfare advocates and the nation’s largest egg farmers have their way, the future is looking rosy for chickens -– and Americans will likely be forced to spend a bit more for their eggs. On Thursday, the Humane Society of the United States and the United Egg Producers announced that they are jointly petitioning Congress for legislation that will require all farmers in the U.S. to adopt new standards on the size of cages used for hens that lay eggs.
Sponsors drop hens initiative after accord with egg producers
The sponsors of a Washington initiative to give egg-laying hens better living conditions called it quits Thursday after reaching a national deal with commercial egg producers to pursue federal legislation. By Andrew Garber Seattle Times Olympia bureau The sponsors of a Washington initiative to give egg-laying hens better living conditions called it quits Thursday after reaching a national deal with commercial egg producers to pursue federal legislation. CNN: Humane Society and United Egg Producers hatch plan for egg standards
Today, The Humane Society of the United States and the United Egg Producers announced in a joint statement that they will work together to urge U.S. lawmakers to craft legislation overseeing the living conditions of the 280 million hens involved in U.S. egg production. This would mark the first federal law regulating the treatment of animals on farms. The Oregonian: Traditional opponents support nationwide ban on battery cages for egg-laying hens By Jayme Fraser, The Oregonian Egg industry leaders and animal welfare groups signed an agreement Thursday to support national legislation moving hens out of traditional battery cages within 18 years, abruptly halting cage-free campaigns in Oregon and Washington. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, said the agreement was reached because both groups saw a switch to the larger colony cages on the horizon and took the opportunity to make the change uniformly nationwide rather than haphazardly state by state. He said the agreement would avoid "hand-to-hand combat that would have the effect of penalizing" the first farmers to make the switch. Arkansas News: Truce called in egg war Posted on 07 July 2011 By Peter Urban Instead, the United Egg Producers and the Humane Society of the United States are proposing that Congress establish federal standards that would gradually require caged hens more space and allow hens to express natural behaviors. The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding today calling for federal legislation and an end to state-by-state legislative battles, including pending ballot initiatives in Washington state and Oregon. Kentucky.com: Adversaries join in effort for more humane egg production By Janet Patton — on Jul 8, 2011 Two traditional adversaries in farm-animal welfare announced what they hailed as a historic agreement to pursue national standards for egg production. The proposed standards, announced Thursday by United Egg Producers and the Humane Society of the United States at a joint news conference in Washington, D.C., would be the first federal legislation on how farm animals are raised. By ROBERT DIGITALE
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT Published: Thursday, July 7, 2011California egg producers could receive significant help from a historic agreement for housing chickens announced Thursday in Washington between farm and animal rights groups. The agreement between the Humane Society of the United States and the United Egg Producers calls for a national law that by 2029 would essentially double the size of caged space provided for the United States' 285 million laying hens. Industry News: Humane Society, Egg Producers Announce Joint Initiative The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and United Egg Producers (UEP) today announced a major initiative that will attempt to create a new national standard for egg farmers. The two organizations, which have long been adversaries debating the welfare of hens used for the nation’s egg supply, jointly announced their new partnership, which will ask Congress to pass federal legislation for the egg industry. “It is for us a very exciting moment not only because animal welfare is important … but because we are finding common ground,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the HSUS, in the announcement. Restaurant News: Egg producers, Humane Society ink accord July 7, 2011 | By Bret Thorn
The United Egg Producers and the Humane Society of the United States signed an agreement Thursday that ends years of conflict and paves the way for changes in how egg-laying hens are housed, but also will likely result in higher egg prices. The animal rights group and the egg farmers cooperative signed a memorandum of understanding to work to enact federal regulations stipulating the treatment of egg-laying hens and mandatory labeling laws. Capital Press: Egg initiatives withdrawn to support national egg deal By DAN WHEAT The Humane Society of the United States and affiliated groups have suspended cage-free ballot initiatives in Washington and Oregon after reaching an agreement with United Egg Producers for federal legislation improving the housing of all 280 million egg-laying hens in the nation. If enacted it would be the first federal law addressing the treatment of animals on farms. The agreement was announced July 7, just one day before HSUS, Washingtonians for Humane Farms and Farm Sanctuary planned to submit more than 355,000 voter signatures to get a cage-free initiative on Washington's fall ballot. Copyright AnthonyZolezzi.com |