California voters approved the Proposition 12 ballot measure, which calls for all eggs produced or sold in the state to come from cage-free laying systems by the end of 2021.
The measure also calls for similar standards for pigs raised for pork production and calves raised for veal production. Proposition 12 is also known as the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative.
According the California Secretary of State’s website, 61 percent of voters approved of the measure, while 39 percent opposed it.
Proposition 12 builds on the Proposition 2 law, which was approved 10 years ago and went into effect in 2015. Under that law, all eggs produced in the state had to be laid by hens that have adequate room to stand up, sit down, turn around and extend their limbs without touching another bird or the sides of the cage.
Under the newly passed Proposition 12, all laying hens would be required to be raised in a cage-free environment by the end of 2021. The law will also prohibit the sale of products from animals not raised according to the conditions set forth by the measure.
The ballot measure was strongly supported by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), while opposed by National Association of Egg Farmers, and also the Humane Farming Association.
“We fought hard and responded to media outlets on TV, radio, and newspapers, but the opposition was better funded, so they were better able to mislead the voters into believing cage-free (egg production) was better,” said Ken Klippen, president of the National Association of Egg Farmers.
King re-elected to Congress
In other election news related to the U.S. egg industry, Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, was elected to a ninth term in the U.S. House of Representatives.
King is the author of the Protect Interstate Commerce Act (PICA), informally known as the King amendment, which calls for the end of laws such as California’s Proposition 12 on the basis that such laws allow one state to regulate agriculture production practices in other states, which King says is unconstitutional.
PICA is under consideration for inclusion in the 2018 farm bill.
Comprehensive resource for cage-free eggs available
A new collection of exclusive articles, blogs and infographics on Cage-free Eggs and Consumer Trust in the Poultry Industry, written by trusted WATT Global Media editors and industry experts will equip egg producers and marketers with information to help them make critical business decisions. Purchase your copy.
