In a stunning announcement by the Humane Society and the United Egg Producers, the two old adversaries agreed to work together to support tougher federal regulations on egg farms. The agreement comes in the midst of what had been a contentious struggle in Oregon over conditions on egg farms.

The Humane Society had supported a ballot initiative which would have forced egg producers to improve conditions for animals on their farms. The initiative would have banned battery cages (confinement systems used in most egg farming) and would have doubled the space required for each bird.

The Oregon law, which is gaining momentum in other states, has been hailed by some animal rights groups as landmark legislation that will revolutionize the treatment of livestock in the United States.

The alliance between the Humane Society and the United Egg Producers seems to indicate the inevitability of these new regulations. With one of the largest egg producer advocacy groups in the country working with major animal rights groups it seems likely that these laws will spread. Already, both groups are supporting federal laws modeled on the Oregon initiative (which would be the first federal law regulating the treatment of animals on farms)

Other major livestock producers are worried about the potential impact of this legislation. The National Pork Producers Council recently issued a statement denouncing the planned legislation, stating, “one-size-fits-all approaches will take away producers’ freedom to operate in a way that’s best for their animals, make it difficult to respond to consumer demands, raise retail meat prices and take away consumer choice.”

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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer