LEXINGTON, KY - As animal rights organizations look to press a stronger anti-cruelty agenda with the state's legislators during the next session, pro-farm groups are hoping the formation of a new commission will allow the state to manage its own standards for animal care.
On a recent visit to Kentucky, Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) visited with supporters to rally the troops for the legislative session. The organization's agenda included shoring up existing anti-cruelty laws including those against cockfighting and the practice of soring as it pertains to walking horses.
When asked if his association was against animal agriculture, he said the HSUS is not against it by any means, adding that theirs is not an anti-meat campaign but an anti-abuse campaign.
But not everyone is convinced of that.
Even in a slow economy, the agriculture industry in Kentucky, and the animal agriculture sector in particular, has been a major contributor to economic development throughout the state. Last year, livestock production accounted for nearly $2.5 billion in cash receipts. Over the years, anti-cruelty groups have voiced concerns over the treatment of livestock - so much concern that they have worked to introduce legislation in many states to change laws governing how the animals are kept.
But pro-farming organizations are hopeful that a new piece of legislation recently introduced in the state Senate will keep such initiatives out of Kentucky.
Senate Bill 105 was brought before the Senate Agriculture Committee by Sen. David Givens with a full meeting room of supporters and non-supporters present.
The bill would create a 14-member Kentucky Livestock Care Standards Commission which would set rules for the treatment of animals on the farm, be administered by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and chaired by the state's agriculture commissioner. The legislation would also prevent local governments from passing standards that are stricter than those set by the commission.
"Once the commission is formed, it will have the authority to promulgate regulations pertinent to on-farm livestock and poultry care standards," said Givens. "The goal of this being for the commission to consider factors including animal well-being, ag best management practices, herd health and taking into account the need to have safe, affordable and healthy food supplies for all consumers."
The proposed commission, Givens said, would be comprised of people knowledgeable about standard animal care practices and practical approaches that are common throughout agriculture.
"We want those sorts of minds driving the conversation rather than the conversation being driven by emotional elements that can sometimes overshadow our farm practices," he said.
The commission would include the state veterinarian as a non-voting member as well as the dean of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture and the chair of the Animal Control Advisory Board, among others. The commission would also include four members appointed by the governor. Givens, who has an extensive background in agriculture, also said the legislation would have very little impact on the majority of farmers in the state.
"Currently, under Kentucky law as with many other states, it is illegal to treat animals cruelly. How we define what is cruel and neglect is the focus of this commission," he said. "I don't see added enforcement cost. I see a much better understanding within the industry and I'm excited as an industry member to be able to root out the bad actors that do need to be moved out of the industry and that is one of the goals of this commission. If this impacts two percent of our livestock producers, I'll be surprised. I think far and away the vast majority of our Kentucky farmers that deal with livestock and poultry are already complying with virtually everything this commission will be producing."
Given is joined by a host of agriculture organizations supporting the bill. A policy statement posted on the Kentucky Farm Bureau Web site noted, "We support the creation of a Kentucky Livestock Care Standards Board to establish livestock care guidelines for producers."
The Kentucky Corn Growers Association released a similar declaration asking members to support the bill.
"The livestock industry is our single most important customer. About 50 percent of all the corn grown in Kentucky goes to feed. Extremist groups, such as the Humane Society of the United States, have already made a detrimental impact on animal agriculture in other states, and we need to ban together to see that does not happen in Kentucky with preventative legislative action," the statement noted.
Givens said the idea for the legislation came from numerous conversations with other lawmakers and those he has met in his capacity as chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee. He also said that many of the groups that view some agricultural practices as cruel and inhumane don't fully understand the culture of agriculture.
"Today, many Kentuckians as well as Americans are removed one, two or maybe even three generations from the farm. Years ago a child or grandchild would go to visit an aunt or grandma and spend a week on the farm so they understood animal agriculture to some degree," he said. "Sadly enough today, because many young people don't get a chance to spend time on the farm, practices we consider normal in production agriculture, there are elements in society that view them as cruel and unusual."
Education could be the key to getting people more acclimated to agriculture practices and one Kentucky company is creating programs to do just that. Alltech, a business built on producing healthy food supplements for farmers and animal owners all over the world is extensively involved in building initiatives to help educate students on many educational levels.
"Agriculture must take our future into our own hands. That begins with education," said Pearse Lyons, PhD., founder of Alltech. "My wife Deirdre and I build one school laboratory every year to get people interested in science. Alltech has developed Kidzone to help in this regard. Now, teachers that have no background in agriculture can use this online instructional tool to teach kids where their food comes from and the importance of agriculture."
Alltech has also started a program on the university level known as the Young Scientist program designed to help students realize there is a future in agriculture.
"From 82 students in the first year, this program has grown and we hope to have more than 5,000 students enrolled in this, its 4th year. It's our future, so it's up to us to make sure we're telling our story," said Lyons.
As this legislation plays out, educating all the elements involved could take some time. Givens said the bill provides a way for all factions to voice their concerns. It also reflects the need for consumers to have a safe abundant food supply and for farmers to operate in an environment where the rules are known and driven by scientific standards.
"This will provide a mechanism for any concerned citizen, be they related to a Humane Society or a farmer, to be able to have their voice heard and their concerns properly understood by a diverse group," he said.
The bill was passed unanimously out of the Senate last week and awaits action in the House.