Many notable U.S. chefs, food retailers, and caterers are
likewise moving away from the worst forms of animal
confinement.WolfgangPuckisendinghisuseofporkfrom
sowskeptincrates,aswellashisuseofeggsfrom caged
hens. Major chains including Burger King, Hardee’s, and
Carl’sJr.havestartedbuyingporkandeggsfromproducers
who avoid sow crates and battery cages. Hundreds of
campuses across theUnited Statesare now avoiding eggs
fromhens keptin cages,andin 2007 CompassGroup,the
world’slargestfoodserviceprovider,announcedthatinthe
futureallitswholeeggswouldcomefromproducerswhodo
not use cages.
The most significant victory of all, however, came on
November4,2008,adaythatismemorablenotonlyforthe
election of Senator Barack Obama as the first African
American president of the United Statesbut also because
Californiansapproved,byawhopping63-37margin,aballot
initiativegivingallfarmanimalsin theirstatetheroomto
stretch theirlimbs and turn around withouttouching other
animalsorthesidesoftheirenclosures.In2015,notonlyveal
andsowcratesbutalsothestandardbatterycagewillbecome
illegalinCalifornia,andnineteenmillionhenswillhavemore
room to walk around and stretch their wings. The egg
industry poured $9 millioninto fighting the initiative,but
founditselfmatchedbyacoalitionofanimalorganizations,
ledbytheHumaneSocietyoftheUnitedStates,thelargest
animal welfare organization in the nation, and one which
under the presidency of Wayne Pacelle has turned its
attention to farm animals with remarkable success.
The Californian ballot, following on those in Florida and
Arizona,showsthatwhenAmericansaregiventhechance,