Though seven states have passed legislation to phase out common industry practices that confine farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up and fully extend their limbs, AWI remains concerned that these laws will not actually end the use of cages and crates.
Ohio's new farm animal care regulations went into effect in September. Ohio follows New Jersey as only the second state to establish legal standards for the treatment of animals on the farm.
The Animal Welfare Institute prepares comprehensive papers on topics related to the welfare of animals used in agriculture. Each of the following reports is available as a downloadable PDF.
AWI works every day to improve the lives of farm animals. We endeavor to get animal welfare laws and regulations passed, pressure the agriculture industry to improve its standards, and educate the public through reports and action alerts—all in the name of giving farm animals a life worth living.
The Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, HR 2, was defeated on May 18 in the US House of Representatives by a vote of 198-213.
The Farm System Reform Act was introduced by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) in the House of Representatives and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) in the Senate.
Over the past several decades, the poultry industry has used selective breeding to double the average market weight of chickens raised for meat while cutting nearly in half the amount of time it takes for birds to reach market weight.
Each year in the United States, hundreds of racehorses die on tracks across the country—a death toll that far exceeds the number of fatalities in other racing jurisdictions around the world. Why the difference?
Persistence pays off! In June, after years of effort by AWI staff members, the FBI’s Advisory Policy Board (APB) unanimously approved the addition of animal cruelty crimes as a separate entry in the Uniform Crime Report (UCR). The FBI director approved the APB’s recommendation on September 11.
In late November, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revoked its ban on extra-label antibiotics used in rearing farm animals, particularly in intensive systems.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in November 2015 that it had approved genetically engineered (GE) salmon for human consumption—the first such approval for a GE animal. Further, the FDA stated that it had no plans to require that GE salmon be labeled as such, even though consumers don’t particularly want to eat it and definitely want to know if it’s at the supermarket.
AWI recently submitted comments urging greater consideration of animal welfare in guidance documents issued by the Food and Drug Administrati
In June, the World Organisation for Animal Health reported antimicrobials used for farm animals fell by one-third from 2015 to 2017, with 156 countries reporting decreased usage.
The Food and Drug Administration claims to want to reduce non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in animal agriculture. Currently, farmed animals are administered antibiotics through feed or drinking water to make them quickly gain weight and ward off disease in crowded, filthy, inhumane living conditions.
Feathers is an apt title for this book about exactly that—from the evolution of the first feathers and birds, to man’s desire to use feathers as adornment, for warmth, or as prototypes for human flight.
As Iowa state lawmakers seek to shut down scrutiny of the state’s abundant factory farms, one of their US senators is trying to make sure no other state can enact farmed ani
In March, the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the US Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA)—which provides federal loans to farmers and ranchers—must assess the environmental impact of medium-sized concentr
The federal Horse Protection Act of 1970 (HPA) is supposed to protect Tennessee Walking Horses and other gaited breeds from “soring,” the practice of applying chemicals or mechanical devices to horses that inflict pain in order to cause the exaggerated gait so prized by segments of the show horse industry.
Tucson, AZ—Under a settlement with the Center for Biological Diversity and the Animal Welfare Institute approved today in Tucson fede