Slow Food USA Petition: A Well-Managed Farm Has Nothing to Hide

4 CommentsMonday • May 9, 2011 • by michelle

Something that truly breaks my heart is knowing that animals on some farms are kept in unhealthy and inhumane conditions.

Since I know that many of you feel similarly — and because goats are absolutely involved — I wanted to share this information here.

I’m not a vegetarian or vegan, so I’m certainly not against the consumption of animals and certain animal products, but do I believe animals have a right to be treated humanely while alive even if they will eventually be food — and the public has a right to know how their food is produced.

For these reasons, I have signed Slow Food USA’s petition against legislation in three states (Florida, Minnesota, and Iowa) that would criminalize taking photos or videos of farms.

From Slow Food USA:

We live in a time when we’re not always aware of where our food comes from and how it grows. The bipartisan legislators in Iowa, Florida, and Minnesota who’ve proposed these laws charge that unapproved photos and videos misrepresent the realities of farming and damage the public perception of our nation’s food producers. But pictures don’t lie.  Inhumane and unhealthy conditions are present in our food system, and keeping that information from the public won’t make them go away. We must come together nationally to stop this dangerous precedent of suppressing outrage against bad farming practices by suppressing the public’s right to see what they’re eating.

If you, too, believe that a well-managed farm should have nothing to hide, and that consumers have a right to see how their food is produced, please join me in signing their petition.

If we can raise a big enough stink, we can stop this outrageous effort from spreading to other states and send a clear message that consumers have a right to know where our food comes from. Thank you for your support!

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