Program Term Archive

Farmed Animals

Fed Bill Aims to Force-Feed States with Factory Farm Products

Farmed Animals

As Iowa state lawmakers seek to shut down scrutiny of the state’s abundant factory farms, one of their US senators is trying to make sure no other state can enact farmed...

AWI Report: Absence of Enforcement is Compounding the Cruelty at American Slaughter Plants

Farmed Animals

Scientists and philosophers call it the “meat paradox”—a type of cognitive dissonance that can occur among people who want to eat meat but not kill animals. The unfortunate reality, however,...

Stifling Scrutiny to Stymie Reforms

Farmed Animals

States have repeatedly passed laws that seek to criminalize undercover investigations of abuse and other animal welfare issues on factory farms. Although these “ag-gag” laws have been repeatedly struck down...

New Poll: Consumers Overwhelmingly Support Meaningful Standards for “Humanely Raised” Food Label

Press ReleaseMay 30, 2025Farmed Animals

Eighty-eight percent of American consumers believe that claims such as “humanely raised” or “sustainably farmed” on meat and poultry products should be based on meaningful, measurable standards, according to a newly...

New Research: USDA Fails to Pursue Prosecutions of Slaughter Plants, Despite Repeat Violations

Press ReleaseMay 22, 2025Farmed Animals

Repeat violators of the federal Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA) continue to escape meaningful enforcement by the US Department of Agriculture, resulting in continued animal cruelty and suffering, according...

At Slaughter

Farmed Animals

Every hour, some 1,000,000 chickens, 14,000 pigs, and 4,000 cows are slaughtered for human consumption in the United States. It is a process that takes place far from public view,...

Farmed Animals

Farmed Animals

Half a century ago, family farms were prevalent. Animals grazed on pasture, breathing fresh air and feeling sunshine on their backs. During inclement weather, they were sheltered in straw-bedded barns. In...

Fur Farms: Cultivating Cruelty, Courting Disaster

Farmed Animals, Terrestrial Wildlife

This year, AWI is supporting federal, state, and local efforts to restrict fur farming and end the sale of new fur products. The extreme crowding and confinement on fur farms...

AWI Report Examines Tragic Toll of Barn Fires

Farmed Animals

In January, AWI released the third edition of Barn Fires: A Deadly Threat to Farmed Animals, chronicling farmed animal casualties in barn fires from 2022 through 2024. In the 300+ barn...

Cage-Free Laws in the Crosshairs

Farmed Animals

In recognition of the immense suffering experienced by egg-laying hens confined to battery cages, 10 states in the last 15 years have enacted laws prohibiting the use of these ultra-confining...