According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, over 9.7 billion land animals are slaughtered each year for their meat, eggs, and milk (this number does not include fish and seafood consumption). No federal laws protect farmed animals from cruelty and most states exempt farmed animals from their animal cruelty statutes. Some progress has been made to outlaw three types of housing systems in factory farming: veal crates for male dairy calves, gestation crates for pregnant pigs, and battery cages that house hens used for egg production. Massachusetts is one of the states to prohibit these production methods, and the sale of products made from animals raised using the production methods, with the passing of Ballot Question 3 in 2016.
The MSPCA supports policies and programs that foster more humane, healthy, and sustainable food systems. This can be done through incorporating the three R’s below.
Incorporate the three R’s (refinement, replacement, and reduction) into your life to create a more humane diet:
Replacement
Grocery stores now have a large assortment of products to replace those traditionally obtained from animals who are intensively confined. These vegetarian and vegan alternatives include veggie burgers, non-dairy milk, tofu, tempeh, and even fake chicken fingers and sandwich meat. Demand for these products is growing and you can find these items in your local grocery store.
Reduction
Reducing our consumption of animal products is the ultimate way to reduce animal suffering. Check out animal-free recipes and try starting a Meatless Monday policy in your household and school today.
Individual choices can make a difference in the lives of animals. Did you know:
- The average American eats 7,000 animals in his or her lifetime.
- If all Americans reduced their consumption of animal products by just one day per week, approximately 1.4 billion animals would be spared the suffering that occurs with intensive confinement operations.
- The number of land animals slaughtered in 2023 was 85,444,639,663.
Refinement
More and more producers are raising animals in more natural settings, allowing animals fresh air and more room to perform natural behaviors. Refining your diet by choosing products from more humanely raised animals instead of conventional products from intensive farm operations helps ensure animals live better lives. Find information on our website about where to find animal products from farms that have higher standards of care for animals.
Here are some ways to refine your diet for different types of animal products:
- Choose free-range and/or grass-fed beef and dairy products
- Choose free-range and/or cage-free poultry and egg products
- Choose free-range pork products
- Choose sustainably-harvested fish and seafood products
- Urge your local restaurants, schools, and workplaces to serve more humane options
The emerging field of cultured meat, or meat that is grown in a lab, also called “cellular agriculture,” is a revolutionary new way to think of refining your diet. Rather than killing an animal, cultured meat can be grown from just a few animal tissue cells.
Support legislative action:
The MSPCA supports S.922: An Act Relative to the Bean New Deal, sponsored by Senator Cynthia Stone Creem. This bill takes a meaningful step toward reducing our reliance on industrial animal agriculture by expanding access to plant-based foods and increasing public awareness, while also supporting public health and environmental protection. Several key provisions in this legislation help achieve these outcomes.
- Expanding Access to Plant-Based Foods
- Public Institutions: Requires all dining facilities at public colleges, universities, and state agencies to offer at least one plant-based protein option at every meal.
- Senior Nutrition Programs: Allows seniors to request home-delivered meals with plant-based proteins and ensures congregate meals offer plant-based options at every meal.
- WIC Programs: Guarantees that WIC participants can request food packages with plant-based proteins.
- Integrating Plant-Based Nutrition into Education
- Culinary Programs: Mandates that public culinary arts programs teach the health, environmental, and climate benefits of plant-based proteins and practical plant-based cooking skills.
- Public Schools: Directs the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to incorporate information on plant-based diets into school curricula.
- Supporting Small Businesses and Expanding Plant-Based Choices
- Local Vendors: Requires community development financial institutions to work with colleges and vocational schools to create training programs for food sellers and public education campaigns promoting the benefits of plant-based foods.
Grant Funding: Directs the Office for Food and Nutrition Programs to give extra weight to grant applications that expand access to and raise awareness about plant-based proteins.
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