Take Home Messages From The Animal Agriculture Alliance Meeting

Consider these facts: Ninety-five law schools now offer at least one course in animal law. A publication exists called the Journal of Animal Law and Ethics. The World Bank has created a publication on animal welfare. Animal rights issues have permeated our culture, and animal agriculture is seeing the effects. So in May, when farmers, legislative leaders, veterinarians, issue management specialists, government officials and others interested in the future of agriculture came together in Arlington, Virginia, for the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s Stakeholders Summit, that’s what they talked about. This year’s theme was "Politics, Activism and Religion: Influencing the Debate on Animal Welfare in America." Here are some of the highlights: There was a warning from Wes Jamison, associate professor of communications at Palm Beach Atlantic University: animal rights activists are using messages with religious themes and language to advance their agenda: vegetarianism. Bruce Vincent, a third generation logger from Montana, also gave an impassioned talk, warning that animal rights groups thrive on conflict – in fact, they must perpetuate conflict to survive. It is a conflict industry, he said. "Groups involved in this industry generate cash by marketing fear.” He warned that activist groups put before the public false choices, especially on animal welfare and the environment (the only way to have clean water is to eliminate animal agriculture, etc.)...cattlenetwork