There are 13 states at the moment that have joined a legal fight against California, asking the Supreme Court to block certain laws in the state that require eggs being sold from hens to have certain space requirements for their cages.
They see California as trying to impose their standards on agricultural production onto other states, by prohibiting producers from exchanging with those who don't meet the requirements. They say that this will only drive up costs for consumers and food producers down the road.
The lawsuit has been filed by the Missouri Attorney General and in the suit they are arguing that the law in California violates the US Constitution's interstate commerce clause.
Quite often, consumers in California are going to receive eggs that were shipped to the state from elsewhere, such as farm locations in the Midwest, and in those locations the conditions of the cages as far as space requirements, might not line-up with what California imposes as as a standard in its own region.
We can see that there is a clear demand from consumers for more ethical farming methods to be promoted, and that's triggered many producers to already make the switch to going grass-fed, or opting for free-range, larger cages etc.
For those producers around the US who don't meet the standards that have been established in California, they are forced to forego those sales that might end-up taking place in that state. And that's why many states have a problem now, because they see the situation as one where California is trying to impose regulation outside of its own boundaries.
The farmers are worried about the strict zoning approval process that's involved, and the potential for having to drastically reduce their herd size or flock (potential for income) to meet the standards, as well as investing in costly new infrastructure.
The controversial California law was introduced back in 2015, and the states are now alleging that it's potentially cost consumers over $300 million in higher egg prices.
Vote For Change With With Your Dollars...
If there are many people who would like to see eggs only being sold from farms that raise them under good conditions, then that is what they should be voting for in the market. Consumers are able to vote with their dollars for the conditions that they want to see more of.
I, like many others out there, don't enjoy the idea of consuming eggs that come from chickens or hens that were raised in overpopulated cages; having never been given the liberty to roam freely outside etc. I vote with my dollars to go with pasture-raised whenever I can, because there can be quite a difference still between cage-free and pasture-raised.
Cage-Free vs Pasture-Raised
We now see that there are many restaurants and other venues who are switching to cage-free and they're highlighting that to try and set themselves apart from the competition. You've got places like Wendy's A&W, and even McDonald's indicating that they're dedicated to going cage-free. There is clearly a growing trend to move in this direction and it's being fueled by the people themselves who are buying the product.
The law in question that they're fighting over, is one which stipulates that farmers should be using cages that wouldn't prevent an egg-laying hen from turning around or being able to fully extend its limbs. And unfortunately this is something that doesn't come as common knowledge to some farmers out there, who insist on operating in a contrary fashion. However, in the long-run it's likely they aren't going to be the ones to succeed.
Whether or not these states are successful in trying to get the US Supreme Court to rule against these cage-free laws doesn't mean that something still cannot be done to try and bring about change.
If you want to see products on the market coming from farms that utilize superior and ethical farming methods, then choose with your dollars every time that you make an exchange in the market to support that; to support what you want to see more of. Rather than using violence to try and pass a law, to get them to do the right thing, an alternative option available is to have consumers voluntarily push for change by voting for it every time that they go to the store.
Pics:
pixabay
pixabay
vitalfarms.com
Sources:
https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/4393801-nd-joins-legal-fight-against-california-massachusetts-egg-meat-laws
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/midwest/ct-indiana-wisconsin-cage-free-eggs-law-20171218-story.html
http://dukefmfargo.com/blogs/headlines-with-heinrich/1694/north-dakota-joins-lawsuits/
http://www.agweek.com/business/agriculture/4393677-north-dakota-joins-fight-against-laws-imposing-animal-production
http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/missouri-and-a-dozen-other-states-sue-to-stop-cage/article_12bd6385-66e6-5e4c-b11f-2a00628bd4ab.html
http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/missouri-and-a-dozen-other-states-launch-new-legal-challenge/article_bc2490d6-e302-564a-a9b4-90e1241372f8.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/22/egg-makers-are-freaked-out-by-the-cage-free-future.html
http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/vital-farms-calls-cage-free-eggs-bs-campaign/310607/
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