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Improve image to fight activists, speaker says
By J.D. STETSON, News-Record Writer jstetson@gillettenewsrecord.net
Farmers and ranchers will need to improve their public image if they want their industry to survive assaults from animal rights activists.To do it, they’ll need to put a face on their product other than that of a cow, pig or chicken — the face of the hard-working American rancher and his family.
“(The public) wants you to be able to look them in the eye and tell them ‘I know what I’m doing and I’m doing it the best that I can,’” said Steven L. Kopperud, keynote speaker of the Wyoming Cattle Industry Convention. The three-day meeting opened Thursday at Cam-plex Energy Hall in Gillette.
Kopperud is a senior vice president for Policy Directions Inc., a government affairs company based in Washington, D.C. He specialized in production, agriculture, animal health, food and agriculture research and health issues. He coordinates the Farm Animal Welfare Coalition and is an expert in activist assaults on agriculture.
He talked about the recent legal victories of animal rights organizations in California and Massachusetts and how they could trickle down to the rest of the nation. Most of the battles are in the area of creating a better standard of living for animals by giving them more room to move around.
Kopperud contended that animals in open environments would rather be touching one another and are more prone to stress, which leads to disease.
He addressed the laws that led to the closure of horse slaughter plants in Texas and Illinois and the unintended consequences that followed. Those consequences include the abandonment and neglect of more than 110,000 horses in the United States, Kopperud said.
“Horse slaughter is the quintessential example of what happens when you let idiots set policy,” he said.
Economics was another factor in his presentation. Vegetarians and vegans account for about 3 percent of the population of the nation, he said.
He alluded to a story about a person who bought food at a Whole Foods market in Washington, D.C., who he confronted with scientific facts that the “organic” food sold at the store for a more expensive price wasn’t better than the food bought at a local supermarket for a lower price. The person replied, “It makes me feel better.”
“That’s a relationship with your food that’s way too deep,” Kopperud said.
Funny stories aside, Kopperud called for local ranchers to protect their livelihood before it is taken out from under them.
He cited a study that said that only a few years ago, 97 percent of the population trusted farmers and ranchers because they knew that core values ran deeper for people who lived in the country.
Between various public relations campaigns by animal activists, the percentage has eroded to about 87 percent, he said.
But the farmer isn’t the one being attacked. Fast-food companies and processors are the ones that are hit worse by the assaults.
He suggested that the producers should be proactive to step in to protect the companies rather than wait for the retailers to come to them. The producers know their business better than the retailer and can explain to the public better than a company.
“(The retailers) need to talk to their suppliers,” he said. “(And the suppliers) need to stand next to them or in front of them.”
Between the federal laws that make it harder to ship animals to a processor, and the emotional campaigns against modern production practices, the livestock industry is moving backward instead of forward, Kopperud said.
“If you want to ranch like you did in the 1930s, God bless you because that’s what you’re going to get if you don’t open your mouth,” Kopperud said.
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of gillettenewsrecord.com.
Responsiblity wrote on Jun 6, 2009 7:03 PM:
" JD'' you must really think responsible horse owners are idiots.. Apparently you and the other pro slaughter idiots are spreading false information. you fail to mention that the Southwestern Cattle Raisers were getting $3,00 per horse slaughtered at Texas Plants and that they operated illegal ignoring state laws not to mention humane treatments to animals. Many foals, blind abuse, neglected and pregant horses went to slaughter. All which are against the law even for cattle procedures. According to the USDA (FIOA) Freedom of Information Acts we now have the facts. What makes you think if we have slaughter it will stop neglect and abuse. These are crimes and willl continue as long as slaughter is offered. The Majority of Americans Oppose horse slaughter the only ones that opposed the abolishment of slaughter are the whole slaughter industries,Overbreeders, Overbreeders Associations such as the AQHA and the APHA all make money for breeding horses for papers. The race horse industry is also to blame but now are taking action like incentives to not breed horses if they dont seem to have a great track record. They are staring to realize that overbreeding is the problem and are now working to correct the problem. You Need to realize that slaughter rewards irresponsible people. We are Americans and dont eat horsemeat and we are not Peta members we are horse owner responsible horse owners that know the difference between responsiblity and crimes. If you speak speak the truth dont lie to the public. "
suew wrote on Jun 6, 2009 1:42 PM:
" Mr. Kopperud sounds like the typical eastern big ag mouthpiece that has driven small farmers out of business fir decades now. I have been a rancher for over 30 years and come from a family of ranchers. A long time ago we realized that if we listened to the hate filled rhetoric of people like Steve we would be crushed by those he represents. I have no fear of animal activists because I am not doing anything wrong. We raise our beef humanely and sell locally (yes our beef is better than the typical beef you buy in the major chains). Business has always been good. It is people like Steve and his buddies who scare me. They are the real people out to destroy the average farmer. Sure some people don't eat meat, but that is a small minority. Let's remember, vegetarians do eat vegetables and who grows those Steve? Farmers.
Farmers need to take back farming from big ag and people like Steve. They don't speak for me, my family or those I work with.
As for horse slaughter, I support the ban. I am going to write everyone I can to support it. We don't raise horses for slaughter and as a professional breeder I would never send my horses to slaughter. Anyway, horse slaughter in the US competes with the US beef industry. Horse slaughter is foreign owned and foreign driven. Why is Steve defending an industry that directly competes with a real US industry? Maybe Steve wants one more way to drive us out of business.
Sounds like the only idiot making policy is Steve. "
Farmers need to take back farming from big ag and people like Steve. They don't speak for me, my family or those I work with.
As for horse slaughter, I support the ban. I am going to write everyone I can to support it. We don't raise horses for slaughter and as a professional breeder I would never send my horses to slaughter. Anyway, horse slaughter in the US competes with the US beef industry. Horse slaughter is foreign owned and foreign driven. Why is Steve defending an industry that directly competes with a real US industry? Maybe Steve wants one more way to drive us out of business.
Sounds like the only idiot making policy is Steve. "
Valerie James-Patton wrote on Jun 6, 2009 1:38 PM:
" For a man who specializes in agri-business issues, he is very misinformed about the statistics on the horse slaughter issue and abandoned horses.
Because 134,000 US horses were exported to slaughter last year in Mexico and Canada, which is even more than were slaughtered here in the US when the US facilities were in operation, to claim that there are 110,000 abandoned horses is ridiculous. Most of the exaggerated abandoned horse stories have been proven to be nothing more than propaganda put out by the supporters of horse slaughter and the horse slaughter industry, and there are more stories of abandoned horses than there are actual abandoned horse cases.
Also, because US horses are still sold and purchased for slaughter, as the slaughter option has always been available to horse owners just by selling their horses at auction, any current abandoned or neglected horse case, is only proof that slaughtering horses does not a cure or prevent abandonment and neglect. "
Because 134,000 US horses were exported to slaughter last year in Mexico and Canada, which is even more than were slaughtered here in the US when the US facilities were in operation, to claim that there are 110,000 abandoned horses is ridiculous. Most of the exaggerated abandoned horse stories have been proven to be nothing more than propaganda put out by the supporters of horse slaughter and the horse slaughter industry, and there are more stories of abandoned horses than there are actual abandoned horse cases.
Also, because US horses are still sold and purchased for slaughter, as the slaughter option has always been available to horse owners just by selling their horses at auction, any current abandoned or neglected horse case, is only proof that slaughtering horses does not a cure or prevent abandonment and neglect. "
Leah2444 wrote on Jun 6, 2009 1:23 PM:
" I pose a question from the statement made in this article, but first here is what was said:
"That’s a relationship with your food that’s way too deep, Kopperud said."
For many years people did not know how the animals were suffering at the slaughter plants. For years employees complained, but the truth fell on deaf ears and cattle, sheep, pigs and other livestock food animals suffered year after year.
Those that raised the animals looked the other way, doing nothing about what was going on, though most knew the truth.
If it were not for PETA the suffering would have continued as it had in the past, but due to their undercover investigations much improvement was made.
It still is bad, but not as near as bad as it had been. More inspections and better safeguards and enforcement of humane treatment is being watched, but still the animals suffer.
We must care about the animals that die so we can live. We must care that they have a humane death as possible.
Being the guardians of the animals is our responsibility and how they are treated is our responsibility from the person who raises the animals to the person who eats them. "
"That’s a relationship with your food that’s way too deep, Kopperud said."
For many years people did not know how the animals were suffering at the slaughter plants. For years employees complained, but the truth fell on deaf ears and cattle, sheep, pigs and other livestock food animals suffered year after year.
Those that raised the animals looked the other way, doing nothing about what was going on, though most knew the truth.
If it were not for PETA the suffering would have continued as it had in the past, but due to their undercover investigations much improvement was made.
It still is bad, but not as near as bad as it had been. More inspections and better safeguards and enforcement of humane treatment is being watched, but still the animals suffer.
We must care about the animals that die so we can live. We must care that they have a humane death as possible.
Being the guardians of the animals is our responsibility and how they are treated is our responsibility from the person who raises the animals to the person who eats them. "
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SueWallis wrote on Jun 8, 2009 6:59 AM:
The closure of the horse processing plants has completely descimated the market for horses. There is zero market for lower end animals. The value of all horses has plummeted from 30% to 80%. If you have spent your lifetime building your assets in horses, you have seen your net worth disappear in the last two years.
The Wyoming Livestock Board has documented that the incidence of starved and abandoned horses has tripled every year since the plants closed. This is documented all over the country. Every week there is another incidence of starving, dying horses. It is horrible and barbaric.
And why? Because they have no value. Just when the economy takes a dump, people are losing their homes, and losing their jobs we take horses--that used to be a valuable asset, something you could take to the sale and get much needed cash for--and have turned them into expensive liabilities with no options. The sale barns can't even get a bid. So, when the Livestock Board and the Brand Inspectors can't figure out who the horse belongs to, they have the authority to sell them to recoup the cost of feed and water and care, but no ability to do so...because there is no market.
I know people who have spent their entire lives putting together a really fancy set of mares, spent enormous amounts of their resources to get the perfect stallion for the kind of animal they are trying to produce--who haven't bred in over two years, and have castrated the stud so they can at least get some use out of him and haul him with the mares.
Folks, we are fooling ourselves if we don't understand that this is an outright war against all of animal agriculture. Think about it. If they are successful in legally establishing that the simple act of harvesting a horse for food--an animal that has historically been used for food in the US, and an animal which has been used for many purposes, including food since the dawn of time, and meat that you can find right next to the beef, pork, and chicken in grocery stores around the world including our closest neighbors in Canada and Mexico--if they can legally establish that a quick, painless and stressfree death for the purpose of food is "cruel and inhumane" in and of itself--"then Katie bar the door." Next it will be the dairyman being prevented from selling a wore out milk cow for beef. Next it will be the sheep rancher being prevented from using "innocent lambs" for anything except wool.
Please check the facts before you start ranting about atrocities. For those of you who understand the threat to our agricultural heritage and very livlihoods these animal rights driven agendas are. If Americans are going to continue to have the ability to make a living, and be able to use, manage, and enjoy horses in their lives--or to benefit from the rich renewable resources represented in the animal agriculture families across the Nation and their ability to stay on the land, and put food on your table...it is way past time to get involved.
Visit us at http://www.UnitedOrgsoftheHorse.org to join with us in this struggle. There are laws before Congress right now that would make it a FELONY to transport a horse for the purpose of food. In spite of the fact that the only market we have left for lower end horses is in Canada and Mexico. In spite of the fact that the only unusable, unwanted, or unsupportable horses that have ANY value whatsoever are those that are big enough, healthy enough, and close enough to a border to be worth the trucking. In spite of the fact that every place in the World considers horse meat just another food animal, a highly nutritious (twice the protein, half the fat of beef), delicious, and generally affordable source of high quality protein. In spite of all of this...based on the emotionally driven propaganda and fabricated graphic images of a few radical groups...the American public thinks it is reasonable to completely eliminate the equine industry.
Think about the horrific unintended consequences that are already becoming very apparent, and consider the truth before you swallow that.
Most agricultural people believe as I do that it is our moral and ethical obligation to care for the animals we own. If we do not have a reason to keep them, we need to replace them with more productive or useful stock, or we cannot support them because of financial circumstances, or drought, we know it is our responsibility to sell them to someone who can, or to put them down ourselves. If we cannot sell them, the answer is obvious. It does not bother us that an animal we own is quickly killed, and the carcass utilized to feed people or other animals. That is far, far preferable to a long, prolonged, and misery ridden death of starvation, disease, and thirst because some misguided owner thought it was better to turn them out on the desert than live up to their moral responsibility.
Enough said. Please call me, 307 685 8248, email sue.wallis@vcn.com, or visit the website if you want to be pointed toward the scientific research and the facts that document everything I have said. Sue Wallis, Representative - House District 52 - Campbell County. "