A Farm Bill provision in the U.S. House would nullify landmark laws that set humane standards for raising livestock in Pennsylvania, punishing farmers who adopted humane practices and rewarding those who didn't.
A Farm Bill provision in the U.S. House would nullify landmark laws that set humane standards for raising livestock in Pennsylvania , punishing farmers who adopted humane practices and rewarding those who didn't.
Hog farmers are worried about the impact of the Save Our Bacon Act, which would strip away humane practices our farmers have adopted, in favor of Midwestern farmers who still raise pigs in confinement crates. Pennsylvania farmers have led the nation in moving away from outdated production practices, and have been rewarded for it with access to growing markets in California and Massachusetts, stronger farms, and healthier animals.
But a provision buried inside the recently passed House Farm Bill threatens to wipe all of that out. The Save Our Bacon Act would do two things that should alarm every farmer in this state.
First, it would nullify and sold in those states. Pennsylvania producers saw the opportunity, made the investments, and transformed their operations to meet those standards. Our customers, the people buying pork at the grocery store, have made clear they will not accept animals confined in cages for months on end. Turning back the clock on a practice the public has already condemned is not farm policy.
Our state has laws that agricultural officials use nearly every day to prevent and contain outbreaks of bovine tuberculosis, avian influenza, equine infectious anemia, chronic wasting disease, and more. The Save Our Bacon Act puts that authority and the health of our livestock at risk. Pennsylvania farmers have already done the hard work. My family's farm phased out gestation crates, cages that confine a mother pig during pregnancy so tightly she's unable to even turn around for months on end.
We gave our sows room to move and turn, and found that the pigs were calmer, healthier, and easier to care for. Veterinary costs dropped. Productivity improved. Hog producers are either already certified to meet California's standards or are in the process of becoming certified.
You cannot rip the rug out from under that many farmers, particularly here in Pennsylvania, where so many are located. Eliminating these laws would upend years of planning and millions of dollars in improvements while punishing the very producers who did what consumers asked for. Instead of supporting farmers, it hands power to Washington lobbyists and undermines producers who have already invested in modern, humane systems.
Independent analysis shows pork prices in California rose roughly 9% since enforcement began, less than half the overall rate of food inflation. Oklahoma State University agricultural economist Bailey Norwood has stated plainly that there is no evidence California's Prop 12 increased pork prices outside California, and no logical reason it would.
Meanwhile, the premium Pennsylvania producers earn for certified pork offsets transition costs and protects us from market volatility. The Save Our Bacon Act gets it exactly wrong. Instead of supporting farmers, it hands power to Washington lobbyists and undermines producers who have already invested in modern, humane systems. If these laws are eliminated, it is.
We are asking both to oppose any Farm Bill that contains the Save Our Bacon Act. Our farms, our livelihoods, and the markets we have worked years to build are on the line. Stand with Pennsylvania's farmers, not with the corporate lobbyists trying to take away what we've earned
Farm Bill Pennsylvania Pig Farmers Humane Practices Save Our Bacon Act
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