OPINION:
Some members of the House Agriculture Committee are trying to “fix” (in other words, undo) California’s Proposition 12, a law that strengthens the security of the U.S. food system.
One important thing Proposition 12 does is reduce extreme overcrowding of pigs on farms. That improves food safety and reduces disease risks, which most farmers would agree are good things.
Yet the pork industry prefers packing pigs as tightly together as possible to maximize profits.
The more crowded these pigs are, the more chemicals are needed to keep the operations running: antibiotics, vaccines, parasite treatments and sanitation chemicals.
Then Americans eat the product. It’s the opposite of making Americans healthy again.
It’s all about profit, and it’s about a handful of powerful corporations that don’t care about Americans’ health or the impact of their corporate farms.
As lawmakers mark up the farm bill this week, they should keep in mind that “fixing” Proposition 12 would only make American families sicker and our food system less resilient.
BECCA ROGERS
Washington
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