The 118 th Congress is gearing up to tackle the Farm Bill, a massive omnibus bill that must be reauthorized every five years or so and is a key driver of food and agriculture policy...
s of February, the 2022-23 outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) had affected 770 poultry flocks and led to the “depopulation” (mass killing and disposal) of 59 million farmed birds in the United States...
In January, AWI submitted a petition for policy change in response to the US Department of Agriculture’s consistent failure to respond to animal welfare violations at custom-exempt slaughter facilities , resulting in animals being beaten...
Last fall, the American Veterinary Medical Association accepted comments on its policy governing the common cattle industry practices of dehorning and castration. Veterinary consultant Dr. Gwendy Reyes-Illg submitted comments on behalf of AWI that encouraged...
Hurricane Ian caused massive destruction in Florida and killed over 120 people—making it the state’s deadliest storm in nearly a century. The storm also claimed the lives of unknown hundreds of farm animals. A preliminary...
After a decrease in avian flu outbreaks in July, the virus surged back in August and into the fall. As we reported in the previous issue, flocks exposed to the virus are “depopulated”—killed en masse...
After receiving oral and written testimony from AWI, the Hawaii Board of Agriculture voted to approve regulations to protect cattle, sheep, and goats transported via sea vessel between the state’s islands. In May, AWI—joined by...
According to the US Department of Agriculture, in 2021 the average number of US dairy cows involved in milk production at any given time was 9.45 million. The vast majority of them live within “CAFOs”...
When the US Department of Agriculture published proposed regulations that would establish welfare standards for animals raised under the National Organic Program ( see AWI Quarterly , fall 2022 ), AWI quickly mobilized a coalition...
Today’s grocery stores offer a dizzying array of options. And the competition for your attention doesn’t cool down when you reach the refrigerator and freezer cases—there, consumers of meat, poultry, dairy, and egg products are...