Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a long-awaited ruling that upholds a law setting higher animal welfare standards for the production of pork and other foods sold in California.

Proposition 12 bans the sale of pork, veal, and eggs that fail to meet certain minimum space requirements. It prohibits the sale of pork raised in gestation crates, and requires pigs to have enough space to turn around, lie down, stand up, and extend their limbs. 

In August, SRAP and 17 other organizations filed an Amicus Brief with the Supreme Court highlighting the connection between growing consolidation and anticompetitive behavior rampant in the food system. 

“We are proud to have organized a brief to SCOTUS in this case, uplifting the voices of small, independent farmers and ranchers nationwide who support California’s Prop 12,” said Sherri Dugger, executive director of SRAP. 

“It’s clear that hearing directly from U.S. farmers—who are ready to meet the demand for more humanely raised pork—made a huge difference in this case. We’ll continue to ensure those at the highest level of power understand that Big Ag front groups do not speak for farmers, nor rural communities.”

READ Big Ag Front Groups Don’t Speak for Small Farmers

 

The community contacted SRAP’s Help Hotline in search of ways to stop the facility. They wasted no time in preparing written responses to city officials, drafting letters to local media, and raising awareness on social media and through door-to-door outreach. 

They even created a video featuring a panel of experts who, based on their research and lived experiences, share information about the damages caused by industrial livestock operations. 

Despite their efforts, however, the county—which enacted and later killed a moratorium on factory farms—approved the feedlot in a 4-1 vote earlier this month. 

White Earth Indian Reservation, which enacted a moratorium of its own, also opposes the operation. Their concerns include excessive water use and water pollution, as the reservation is home to 530 lakes and 300 miles of rivers and streams. 

Neither group plans to give up and are both exploring their options for the next step in the fight.

WATCH Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) Information for Communities in Minnesota

 

‘Meet Lynn Henning’ 

Lynn Henning and her husband were enjoying life on their small farm in rural Michigan when a false accusation made by the operator of an industrial livestock operation changed the course of their lives. 

The incident sparked Lynn to embark on a decades-long journey of sounding the alarm about the egregious polluting practices of factory farming.

In 2010, she was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for her work, which gained attention at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and prompted state regulators to issue thousands of citations for water quality violations. 

Today, Lynn serves as SRAP’s Water Rangers program director where she helps rural communities protect their right to clean water and hold industrial livestock operations accountable for pollution.

READ Meet Lynn Henning

 

‘Why We Care’ 

Did you know the majority of animal products produced in the U.S. come from factory farms? Most animals are no longer raised outside on pastures with access to fresh air and sunlight. 

Instead, they are raised inside facilities that confine thousands—and sometimes millions—of animals in tight, filthy spaces that resemble nothing like their natural environment.

Not only are these facilities cruel to animals, but they also pollute the environment, degrade public health, and destroy the quality of life for surrounding communities.

At SRAP, we envision a better food future. 

Through socially responsible agriculture practices that put animals back on pasture, increase soil health, and reduce pollution, we believe we can improve public health and revitalize rural communities who uplift small, independent farmers.

READ Why We Care

 

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For more than 20 years, SRAP has served as a mobilizing force to help communities protect themselves from the damages caused by industrial livestock operations and to advocate for a food system built on regenerative practices, justice, democracy, and resilience. Learn more at sraproject.org