January 31, 2007

Farm Sanctuary photo from 2002 investigation at Marcho Farms.

Last week, Smithfield, the world’s largest pig farming operation, announced plans to phase out gestation crates. This week, Marcho Farms, one of the largest U.S. veal companies announced plans to phase out veal crates. In 2002, Farm Sanctuary investigated and exposed conditions at Marcho Farms, and pressured the company to make changes.

It is significant that Smithfield and Marcho Farms have now changed course. Previously, they were both strong proponents of keeping animals in narrow crates. The industry’s back flip on these confinement issues begs the question: what else are pigs, calves and other farm animals rightfully entitled to?

Deadpile at Marcho Farms, 2002.

These changes show that as citizens, restaurants and other businesses become aware of agribusiness’s cruelties, they will demand reforms. This was apparent last November when citizens in the state of Arizona voted overwhelming on Proposition 204 to ban veal and gestation crates.

These recent announcements demonstrate that we are making progress. Cruelty to animals violates basic humane principals, and industrial farming operators are now being forced to recognize this.

More calves at Marcho Farms from 2002 Farm Sanctuary investigation.

Still, industries that exploit and slaughter calves and pigs tend not to be very transparent about the way animals are treated, so it will be important to remain vigilant and to keep the pressure on. In the case of Marcho Farms, releasing calves from 2-foot-wide crates is progress, but nothing is humane about taking a newborn calf away from his mother and shipping him off to be slaughtered only a few months after his birth.