For the past few months I’ve focused a lot on the actions of extreme animal rights groups like Direct Action Everywhere in this blog, as their attempts to “shut down” plants or stage protests at the private homes of company executives have felt like the most pressing concerns to spread the word about. As important as those tactics are to prepare for, we also can’t forget about the longer-term, slower-burning strategies of activist groups, such as pushing for legislation or pressuring restaurant and retail brands to adopt policies for their supply chains.

The Humane Society of the United States’ (HSUS) recent virtual Taking Action for Animals conference served as an excellent reminder that while protests and disruptions might have our attention currently, there are other more under-the-radar campaigns we need to be mindful of. The TAFA conference is typically held biannually in the D.C. area, but this year’s event was held online. The Animal Agriculture Alliance sent representatives to the conference and has issued a full report to our members. I’d like to share a few of the recurring themes and most relevant quotes from speakers here.

Legislative efforts: The main focus of the conference was HSUS’ work to pass “animal-friendly” legislation. Attendees were encouraged to get involved in politics starting at the local level in order to promote their viewpoints to legislators.

“We are working with countries with the most intense farm animal production systems to get them to convert to more humane living conditions for these creatures. Stopping the use of sow gestation crates and battery cages for chickens are at the top of the list… . We aim to eliminate extreme confinement methods and promote plant-based solutions.”
““The more constituents who speak up on behalf of animals, the more that the elected officials who represent us and our opinions will represent the perspective of animal protection, and the more they will pay attention to those issues.”
“We're also passing laws to ban these [confinement] practices in the state, making them criminal abuses that if they are done. It's not just frowned upon or, ‘Hey, this is a bad thing’ — no, these will be criminal activities.”

Animal agriculture and public health: Speakers attempted to capitalize on the COVID-19 pandemic by claiming that animal agriculture poses a risk to public health and will cause future pandemics.

“Factory farms poison our environment. Factory farms also create serious risks to public health.”
“Scientists are telling us, in no uncertain terms, that the next pandemic is at least as likely to start on a factory farm here in the U.S. as it is at a live wildlife market in some other country. There are two reasons for this, one is because of the rampant use of antibiotics in factory farms, which creates antibiotic resistant bacteria that could cause a future plague. … Factory farms are also breeding grounds for viruses such as influenza that can easily jump from farm animals to people.”
“… In this report from the United Nations and the world's leading experts, they found that the No. 1 risk [of pandemics] has to do with the increased consumption of meat, eggs and dairy. No. 2 has to do with the intensification of farm animals or in other words, the caging of farm animals in smaller and smaller enclosures. That's not like a top 10, a top 50, or a top 100 risk we're talking about — No. 1, No. 2 risk.”

Promoting alternatives: HSUS is also well-known for its efforts to “encourage” (aka "pressure") restaurants, retail brands, foodservice companies and institutions to cut back on meat and serve plant-based options.

“Our second strategy to add in [working against] factory farming is to promote healthy eating with plant-based foods. We do this by bringing locally specialized vegan chefs to major institutions, such as restaurant chains, universities and hospitals, and teach them ways to integrate affordable and delicious plant-based options into their meals. This program not only decreases the demand for animal consumption, thereby helping usher out the age of factory farming, but it also helps the planet …”
“You may think that [the goal of having 50% of menus be plant-based] is crazy … the average percentage of plant-based offerings on the menu is 12%. Well, we're going to be working to make that 50% by the end of 2024. That is our goal, and there is no doubt that this is a huge undertaking. But, with the momentum of the industry and what we've already seen from the foundation of what programs want, along with the expertise our team brings, I am certain that we can make this goal a reality.”

These quotes serve as an excellent reminder that as important as farm and plant security is, we can’t forget about the need to proactively engage with key audiences (including legislators and food brands). They are clearly still hearing negative messages about animal agriculture and meat consumption, and it is up to us to make sure there is some balance to the conversation.

Beware: Activist activity is more than just protests

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