Program Term Archive
Farmed Animals
New York City Bans Foie Gras
Farmed AnimalsNew York City recently joined California in passing legislation to prohibit the sale of foie gras, a controversial “delicacy” in French cuisine that has long been criticized by animal advocates...
Uninspiring Update to USDA Animal-Raising Claims Guideline
Farmed AnimalsThe USDA has recently released its updated food labeling guideline for animal-raising claims made on meat and poultry products, three years after taking public comments on proposed changes. Disappointingly, the...
AWI Sues over Slaughter of Downed Pigs
Farmed AnimalsIn February, AWI and a coalition of animal groups sued the USDA for its decision to deny a petition asking the department to ban the cruel practice of slaughtering nonambulatory...
Congress Directs USDA to Help Farmers Develop Disaster Plans
Farmed AnimalsEach year, under a federal disaster assistance program called the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), the US Department of Agriculture shells out tens of millions of dollars to compensate livestock producers...
Hawaii Agrees to Regulate Live Animal Shipments
Farmed AnimalsThe perils of overseas animal transport were recently underscored when 21 cows perished on a barge traveling from Honolulu to Kauai. While the animals were inspected at the port—per Hawaii...
Nation’s Oldest Ag-Gag Law Ruled Unconstitutional
Farmed AnimalsOn January 22, 2020, a federal district court in Kansas struck down a majority of the state’s ag-gag law for violating the First Amendment. The law, enacted in 1990, banned...
New Rules Would Protect Farm Animals Transported By Sea in Hawaii
Press ReleaseFebruary 19, 2020Farmed AnimalsFollowing the recent deaths of 21 pregnant cows on a barge traveling from Oahu to Kauai, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) formally committed last week to adopting regulations to better protect...
Animal Protection Groups Sue Perdue, USDA over Slaughter of Sick, Injured Pigs
Press ReleaseFebruary 6, 2020Farmed AnimalsAnimal protection groups sued Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and the Department of Agriculture today for failing to protect pigs who are too sick or injured to walk at slaughterhouses,...
Revised USDA Food Label Guidance Continues to Promote Consumer Deception
Press ReleaseDecember 27, 2019Farmed AnimalsFollowing the release of an updated food labeling guidance document today, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is appalled that the US Department of Agriculture continues to permit producers to mislead the...
Devastating Year for Barn Fires, 450,000+ Farm Animals Killed
Press ReleaseDecember 17, 2019Farmed AnimalsAt least 469,000 farm animals have perished in potentially preventable barn fires so far this year, according to an Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) analysis of media reports. Since 2017, at...