As someone who has been involved in animal advocacy for many years there was always one thing I avoided: Policy. My civics education was minimal and I was not confident in my ability to get involved in advancing legislation to protect animals. I didn’t know where to start. During my master’s program for the Institute for Humane Education (IHE) at Antioch University, I discovered why I should learn to do policy activism. My main focus for animal advocacy was animals used in our food system (including fishes and marine animals) because they make up the largest group of animals who suffer, and are not afforded the same legal protections as companion animals. Additionally, they are often neglected by animal protection groups. I used IHE’s Solutionary Process to address the issue of animal suffering in our food system. I created a systems map of all the systems and mindsets that perpetuate animal agriculture and I identified several leverage points for change. I noticed that many of these leverage points had something in common: Policy. It became clear to me that we can’t ignore policy if we want to address animal cruelty, since much of what is cruel is also legal. Some of the ways policy can help us achieve our goal of protecting farmed animals are:
Weakening Subsidies of Animal Products and Increasing Produce Subsidies
One reason people continue to eat animal products is because they are cheap. Generally speaking, animal products cost more to produce than plant products. However, they receive so much taxpayer money to artificially lower the price that they become more affordable than the plant foods that receive a significantly smaller percentage of tax money. According to the Agriculture Fairness Alliance (AFA), only 2% of the total subsidies for food go to fruits and vegetables, even though the USDA recommends that 50% of our plate consist of these foods. In contrast, over half of the total subsidies go to milk, meat, eggs, and crops used to feed animals. Tackling the disparity in subsides cannot be done through consumer choice, but through political action. We must change the way subsidies are distributed to reflect the true price of animal products and increase the affordability of healthful plant foods. Check out AFA to learn about how they are hiring their own lobbyists to fight on behalf of fair subsidy distribution.
Regulating Advertising
Companies can get away with a lot when it comes to labeling, from intentionally misleading images to blatant lies. One example is “humane washing.” An egg company called Happy Egg is known for using factory farmed animals in their supply. Despite this, their advertising shows images of chickens out in a beautiful, green, sunny field and the name implies that they have a good, or ”happy” life. The reality couldn’t be further from the truth. Well intentioned customers are led to believe they are supporting higher welfare standards, when the truth is they are continuing to support the unethical practices they think they are avoiding.
The other way legal regulations could tackle this issue is by requiring health warnings on certain products that are known for causing adverse health effects. A perfect example is cigarettes. The World Health Organization classifies both processed meats and cigarettes as class 1 carcinogens. Cigarettes have come a long way from once being endorsed by doctors to now requiring warning labels. Health warning labels on animal products will help dispel myths about the necessity and benefits of eating them, and provide consumers with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their health.
Removing Industry Influence on Dietary Guidelines
Currently the same organization that profits from animal agriculture, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), creates the dietary guidelines that inform what Americans should eat. This is a conflict of interest that could obviously lead to a higher amount of certain products being promoted than what the current science recommends. This can result in people having inaccurate ideas about which foods are healthy. Unfortunately, this is currently allowed. Policy change is needed to ensure health guidelines are created to reflect the best science on human health, rather than government agency mandates or company/monetary interests.
Increasing Visibility of Farming Practices
Most people are very disconnected from the process of how their food is produced. Some advocates have gone undercover to get footage of what goes on out of sight from the public. In response to this, the animal agriculture industries have tried to further hide what they are doing by criminalizing whistleblowers. These laws that prevent the public from seeing what they are doing to animals are called “ag-gag” laws. They have popped up in several states and, luckily, some have been struck down as being unconstitutional by animal advocates. There is a reason the animal agriculture industry is trying to hide what goes on. The industry knows that most people would be appalled by what they saw and that it could hurt the sale of the industry’s “products.” People have a right to see where their food comes from so they can make informed choices about what systems to support with their food choices. It is vital to the animal protection movement that industry actions don’t move further out of sight than they already are. Since this industry is using the law to try to take away the visibility of its farming practices, we must be prepared to fight in that arena.
Welfare Reforms
Simply eliminating the worst practices in the animal agriculture industry is not enough. However, it does get us closer to our goal of preventing animal suffering on a large scale – and therefore beginning to change the system that perpetuates this cruelty – because requiring better treatment by law will cut into profits. The animal agriculture industry lobby fights hard to strike down any welfare reforms that regulate practices or conditions such as gestation crates or battery cages. These industries don’t set out to be cruel to animals. They set out to widen their profit margins as much as they can, despite the suffering the animals endure as a result of cutting corners. Therefore, any way we can cut into the profitability of animal products will help push them towards other food production models. An example is Tyson Foods, one of the largest meat companies, which has already started to produce plant based products. Additionally, these campaigns often help raise public awareness of just how bad conditions on factory farms are.
Farmer Transition Programs
The days of the small family farm are pretty much gone. These days a few giant corporations (Tyson, Smithfield, Cargill, etc.) dominate the production of meat, dairy and eggs. The people who operate the Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO’s) AKA factory farms are called “contract farmers.”. These people are responsible for the daily work, but they do not own any of the animals. The animals and the profits are owned and controlled by the large corporations. Many of these contract farmers are deep in debt and stuck in their contracts. Some say they want to get out of the business and even agree that the animals’ conditions are unacceptable. These people could be our allies in creating policy change. If the government helped fund these farmers’ transition to plant crops (like hazelnut or hemp) it would be a win for the farmers, the animals, and the environment. The Agriculture Fairness Alliance is currently working on such government programs through the Farm and Ranch Mobility (FARM) Solutions Act.
Increasing Availability of Plant Based Options
Although most people are not ready to completely switch to a plant based diet, many are on board with decreasing their reliance on animal products. Requiring that government institutions like schools increase plant based options is achievable right now. More and more people are motivated to transition to plant based meals as a way to improve health and reach climate targets. Right now, the dairy industry, for example, has a huge influence on what kids eat in school. They ensure that their products are served to all students, even when studies show a large percentage of students are lactose intolerant. Currently, plant based options are limited and animal products, like dairy, are heavily pushed in cafeterias. Changing the default can make it more accessible to people to reduce or eliminate their consumption of animal products.
Whose Voices Are Your Representatives Hearing?
I often hear advocates say, “the system is so corrupt, why should we bother?”. Currently the system is set up in a way that makes it legal for legislators to take money from corporations for their re-election campaigns and then vote in ways that benefit those corporations’ interests. This is certainly problematic but the solution is more engagement, not less. Our system also allows us to participate in the process. To keep their jobs, politicians need money to fund their campaigns (which can also be attained through crowdfunding) but they also need votes. If the will of the voters is at odds with the interests of the corporations, then by not engaging we are ensuring that our policymakers only hear only the voices of the corporate interests. The industries that we want to stop from harming animals hire lobbyists to work full time to prevent animal welfare reforms.
You can lobby too! Anytime you call or write to your representatives to tell them your position on an issue you are engaged in lobbying. They have the money, but our power is in numbers. Our rights require that we be provided with the opportunity to participate, but not that we have to take it. If we choose not to engage, then the politicians may only be hearing from those who do not support animal friendly legislation. Additionally, politicians may not be knowledgeable about our issues. They have a wide variety of topics to deal with and if their constituents do not let them know why an issue is important, they may genuinely not know. Lastly, if we all actively engage, we may be able to change the system that allows politicians to be financially influenced by industries.
The Nail in the Coffin
What about animal issues that can be impacted by consumer choices? Policy work can still play an important role. For example, let’s take an issue like homeless companion animals. Public awareness and education went a long way in shifting society towards adoption and educating on the horrific conditions in puppy mills through campaigns like “Adopt Don’t Shop”. As a result, public consciousness has shifted and a large number of people are on board with eliminating puppy mills. Despite this, puppy mills persist. There will always be those who are not persuaded to choose the humane option or who are unaware of the issues. A legal ban is needed to stop these outliers from continuing. Once an issue has the majority of public support behind it, there will be a much higher likelihood of getting a law on the books. Some other examples of issues that have substantial public support are banning circuses that use animals for entertainment, banning the sale and/or farming of animals used for fur, and banning trophy hunting. As one individual you can drastically increase your impact for animals, beyond individual consumer choices, by helping pass these types of bans at your city, state, or the national level.
Ripple Effects
In California, animal advocates worked to ban the bullhook, a tool used to get elephants in circuses to submit and perform. While this was a small measure, it had a snowball effect. The bullhook ban succeeded and without the bullhook, circuses couldn’t force elephants to perform and took them out of their shows. Without elephants, audiences dwindled and large circuses like Ringling Brothers went out of business. The bullhook ban initially received criticism from animal advocates who thought it wasn’t enough and wanted to see all animals freed from circuses. However, such a large ban would have been harder to achieve and would have received more pushback from the opposition. In the end, banning one tool was what led to the demise of an entire circus company and prevented the suffering of many animals in the circus.
Local Change Sets a Precedent
The smaller the level of government, the easier it will be to pass a law/ordinance. But just banning a practice in one city isn’t good enough, right? True, but often passing legislation at the local level sets a precedent that makes it easier to pass at the state level, and eventually the federal level. One such example is the ban of the sale of puppies and kittens that come from puppy mills in pet stores in Illinois. Around 20 cities had passed a humane pet store ordinance in the years prior to a statewide bill being passed. These ordinances played an important role in showing legislators that people supported the statewide bill.
Behavior Change Can Lead To Attitude Change
We tend to think that people change their beliefs first and then change their behavior to reflect those beliefs. However, there is evidence to support that behavioral change often comes first. It is easier to be against something you already don’t participate in. For example, let’s say you grew up going to the rodeo every year. You have many fond memories, experiences with family and friends, and a lot of emotional attachment and investment in the rodeo. Entertaining the idea that rodeos are unethical would be devastating. If you have never been to a rodeo, you’re much more likely to be open to hearing about the ethical concerns associated with it.
A non animal example is smoking in indoor areas. Many people were initially against restricting smoking. However, now that the rule is in effect, most people would say it makes sense. Imagine you are a child who grew up in a time when adults smoked indoors. It has been normalized and justified to you over and over again. You might be more likely to say things like: “It’s not really that bad” and “I survived so it must be fine”. In contrast, a child who grew up when smoking was not allowed would probably wonder, “Why would anyone smoke indoors and make other people breathe it in? That is extremely rude”.
The laws will change what is normal for the next generation growing up. Children who grew up seeing dogs and cats in small cages at pet stores may not see a problem with it. However, once that is banned, it will seem obvious that we shouldn’t do that to dogs and cats, and people may start to question why we do it to other animals like birds and fishes. In short, legal changes can lead to generational and societal change that leads to even more change down the line.
How Does Lobbying Compare to Other Forms of Activism?
PROS
Convenience
If you find it difficult to get to in-person activism events, lobbying may be a more convenient form of activism for you. Contacting your representatives can be done from home. Lobbying may appeal to advocates who:
- Have busy schedules
- Work weekends or times when events are usually scheduled
- Have children and cannot always coordinate childcare
- Have trouble standing for long periods of time
- Do not have transportation
- Live in rural areas where events are not common
- Live in a colder climate and cannot attend outdoor events in the winter
- Are minors and are often not allowed to participate in volunteering alone due to liability
An activist is simply someone who works for change. If any of these apply to you, it doesn’t mean you can’t be an activist. It just means you have to find a type of activism that works best for you.
Be a Part of Large Scale, Long Lasting Change
A small group of people or even an individual can be responsible for passing a protection that applies to a whole city, state, or country. It is a way we can magnify our impact to reach further than our personal choices. Legal protections often address the root cause of an issue. Rescuing animals is important and admirable but if we don’t address the reason they are in need of rescuing, there will continue to be an endless supply of animals who need help. By going to the source, we ensure the problem is solved before it begins. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and we can prevent the cruelty of current animals as well as future ones.
See Tangible Results
Often, we don’t know what impact our actions have. We may plant seeds and help educate people on making compassionate choices but we rarely know for sure what the result of our effort was. For some, this may not be bothersome. But for others, it could lead to feelings of hopelessness and burnout. One benefit to lobbying is that the wins are tangible. When a law passes and goes into effect, activists can see the progress that they helped achieve. Even when a law doesn’t pass, we can learn from our experience to be even more effective next time. It is common for a bill not to pass the first couple of times it is introduced, but each time helps gain momentum towards the eventual win.
At Home Lobbying is Not Confrontational
Ever think you might be too introverted to be an activist? Some forms of activism require persuading others and having prepared arguments. However, when contacting your representatives they will not argue with you or ask you to defend your position. It is your right to let your representative know your position and it is the job of their staff members to take down your position, and pass it along to your representative. The phone calls are short and courteous with no debates. Also, some people feel endangered or at risk by showing up at in-person events that could turn confrontational. Lobbying does not carry the same risks to physical safety or the risk of arrest.
Anonymity
For those who seek to avoid criticism from the public and/or peers, policy activism is a way to be involved without the judgment of others. Some people prefer to keep their activism on the “down low”. If you want to get involved but are not yet comfortable calling yourself an activist publicly, lobbying can be a more “behind the scenes” way to advocate for non-human animals.
CONS
Long Process
As stated above, getting a law passed, especially at a higher level of government, can be a years long process. While the results are tangible, instant gratification should not be expected.
Tedious Work
Let’s face it, lobbying isn’t very glamorous. It’s a lot of making phone calls, writing (short) emails, and filling out witness slips. It could be called, well, boring.
Lack of Community
Part of what adds to the less-than-engaging nature of lobbying is the lack of community. While the convenience of working from home is one of the appeals, it does make it harder to meet other like-minded advocates. That said, there are ways to meet others through social media groups, video meetings, and having friends join you for a lobbying session.
Of course, this list of the pros and cons of lobbying is not meant to imply that lobbying is the best or only way to advocate for animals. These are complex issues, and to address them, we need multiple strategies working together. As of right now the legislative aspect of the animal movement is not as active as it could be. My hope is that by highlighting how easy it is to get involved, we can increase engagement in this form of activism for non-human animals.
A Lot of People Taking Small Actions
You don’t need to be an expert in policy to make a difference. There are several organizations that are lobbying for legal protections for animals. They have experienced staff members who are knowledgeable about the legislative process. However, when they are lobbying for a bill they need the constituents of policymakers to pressure them to support or oppose legislation. This is where animal advocates (LIKE YOU!) are needed in higher numbers. First, representatives are most interested in what their constituents want, not the opinions of people they do not represent. Second, we need numbers to get their attention. Policymakers have a myriad of different bills and issues to think about and we need to make sure they know to pay attention to animal issues.
I’ve Got My Why. But, How?
Okay, but how do we do this? A lot of the advice I’ve seen gives vague instructions about drafting legislation and meeting with legislators. This can be daunting and it is not where I would recommend people begin. The best place to start is by making your opinion heard on current legislation. Simply call and write to your legislators and sign witness slips (petitions) for upcoming hearings. Step by step instructions for how to do this can be found in our Beginner’s Guide to Lobbying for Animals guidebook.