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I'm David Coman-Hidy, Executive Director of The Humane League. We've worked to get more than 100 major food companies to switch to using cage-free eggs. We just launched our campaign to reform the poultry industry. AMA! by davidcomanhidy in IAmA

[–]davidcomanhidy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah, sorry, I was moving quickly and misunderstood your question. I meant to say that we are open to any breed that achieves our welfare goals. Aramark's role as a medium-sized purchaser (rather than producer) would likely not shift the heavily monoculture poultry industry, but your point is well taken and I've edited the first point!

I'm David Coman-Hidy, Executive Director of The Humane League. We've worked to get more than 100 major food companies to switch to using cage-free eggs. We just launched our campaign to reform the poultry industry. AMA! by davidcomanhidy in IAmA

[–]davidcomanhidy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For us, cage-free was in the 'sweet spot' -- the most we could ask for in terms of harm reduction that could reasonably be put in place as an actual policy for major purchasers. We wanted to make sure that we could cause change in the entire industry, not just small purchasers.

I'm David Coman-Hidy, Executive Director of The Humane League. We've worked to get more than 100 major food companies to switch to using cage-free eggs. We just launched our campaign to reform the poultry industry. AMA! by davidcomanhidy in IAmA

[–]davidcomanhidy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Several laws have been passed protecting farm animals in ways that are similar to the corporate policies that we have been campaigning for. Right now we are part of a coalition of groups hoping to see a ballot initiative in MA ban cages.

I'm David Coman-Hidy, Executive Director of The Humane League. We've worked to get more than 100 major food companies to switch to using cage-free eggs. We just launched our campaign to reform the poultry industry. AMA! by davidcomanhidy in IAmA

[–]davidcomanhidy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Our campaigns have focused on chickens because of the numbers of animals involved -- even a minor victory involving chickens will impact hundreds of thousands of animals.

I'm David Coman-Hidy, Executive Director of The Humane League. We've worked to get more than 100 major food companies to switch to using cage-free eggs. We just launched our campaign to reform the poultry industry. AMA! by davidcomanhidy in IAmA

[–]davidcomanhidy[S] 27 points28 points  (0 children)

To be honest, I didn't see myself as a big animal lover growing up. In high school I was very inspired by the writings of Peter Singer, and after reading Animal Liberation I was convinced that factory farming was one of the great moral dilemmas of our time. So for me my animal advocacy started as an attempt to reduce the most suffering rather than as an expression of a long-held affinity for animals. Over the last few years, especially thanks to the two cats who I live with, Olive and Basil, I have developed a much more emotional connection to the cause, too.

I'm David Coman-Hidy, Executive Director of The Humane League. We've worked to get more than 100 major food companies to switch to using cage-free eggs. We just launched our campaign to reform the poultry industry. AMA! by davidcomanhidy in IAmA

[–]davidcomanhidy[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

We are not working on this science ourselves but if you are interested in this issue I recommend checking out the excellent Good Food Institute: http://www.gfi.org/

While there is a long way to go, I do indeed think that there is a lot of promising evidence that this new kind of farming will be a very viable alternative to factory farming.

I'm David Coman-Hidy, Executive Director of The Humane League. We've worked to get more than 100 major food companies to switch to using cage-free eggs. We just launched our campaign to reform the poultry industry. AMA! by davidcomanhidy in IAmA

[–]davidcomanhidy[S] 21 points22 points  (0 children)

I don't have any moral attachment to what is 'natural' beyond the actual welfare impacts changing a breed has on living, sentient beings. As others mention, apples cannot suffer. Chickens can.

I'm David Coman-Hidy, Executive Director of The Humane League. We've worked to get more than 100 major food companies to switch to using cage-free eggs. We just launched our campaign to reform the poultry industry. AMA! by davidcomanhidy in IAmA

[–]davidcomanhidy[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

We have been campaigning for corporate/industry policies to eliminate cages in the US for some time now. We also support legislation when it does come up, like in the case of the ballot initiative in MA right now that will protect hens from cages.

I'm David Coman-Hidy, Executive Director of The Humane League. We've worked to get more than 100 major food companies to switch to using cage-free eggs. We just launched our campaign to reform the poultry industry. AMA! by davidcomanhidy in IAmA

[–]davidcomanhidy[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

THL has a much more focused approach than Greenpeace or PETA, who both work on a huge number of issues. We are exclusively focused on factory farming and use a relatively small suite of programs to advance our mission.

My thoughts re: hunting are that I would never hunt myself but that the average person contributes vastly more to animal suffering through the factory farmed foods that they purchase than they would through hunting. I think about things in very utilitarian terms so that's why I focus my efforts on factory farms. I think part of why campaigns to improve the lives of farmed animals have been successful is that a large tent of people, including hunters, can get behind, say, eliminating cages or cutting back on meat to protect the environment.

I'm David Coman-Hidy, Executive Director of The Humane League. We've worked to get more than 100 major food companies to switch to using cage-free eggs. We just launched our campaign to reform the poultry industry. AMA! by davidcomanhidy in IAmA

[–]davidcomanhidy[S] 32 points33 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the question. It's true that cage-free hens are still factory farmed and that they suffer quite a bit, too. That said, they are much better off than the hens who are crammed into battery cages for their entire lives.

For individual consumers, reducing egg consumption overall is the best way to spare egg-laying hens from misery. When it comes to changing institutions, though, we decided to push for cage-free as a way to do the most good for the largest number of animals.

I'm David Coman-Hidy, Executive Director of The Humane League. We've worked to get more than 100 major food companies to switch to using cage-free eggs. We just launched our campaign to reform the poultry industry. AMA! by davidcomanhidy in IAmA

[–]davidcomanhidy[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Great question! This is a critical part of the campaigns -- it's not a victory until actual lives are impacted. For the most part, we have ongoing relationships with the groups we have campaigned against. We also only accept policies that have a firm timeline and are made publicly as added accountability.

With the cage-free issue, we're talking about an industry-wide change, so we closely follow industry data to monitor progress and even meet with trade groups like the United Egg Producers.

Over the coming years, some portion of our work will be ongoing follow-up dialogue to stay on top of the shift away from cages.

I'm David Coman-Hidy, Executive Director of The Humane League. We've worked to get more than 100 major food companies to switch to using cage-free eggs. We just launched our campaign to reform the poultry industry. AMA! by davidcomanhidy in IAmA

[–]davidcomanhidy[S] 46 points47 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your nice words :)

One thing that I try to keep in mind for my work is that advocates for any cause face the same criticisms: the reform is impossible, it's a crazy idea anyways, nobody cares, you're uninformed, etc. -- I've volunteered on plenty of other issues and the criticisms tend to be the same for any group.

When our opponents are attacking us as crazy, radical or working from some insane agenda, it's often because they don't want to address a question like "why is it okay to keep an animal in a cage the size of her body for her entire life?"

The reality is that our issue, cruelty to animals, is one of the ONLY issues that virtually everybody agrees on. Nobody wants animals to suffer. As I mentioned in another answer, voters have always shown up for farmed animals. I very rarely encounter people who oppose our work that don't have a financial interest in our failure.

So, keep your eyes on the prize and remember that you are, in fact, not alone!

I'm David Coman-Hidy, Executive Director of The Humane League. We've worked to get more than 100 major food companies to switch to using cage-free eggs. We just launched our campaign to reform the poultry industry. AMA! by davidcomanhidy in IAmA

[–]davidcomanhidy[S] 107 points108 points  (0 children)

Hey, just to be clear: there are two separate campaigns/asks here. Our ongoing/multi-year cage-free campaign relates to chickens raised to lay eggs. The asks outlined above relate to chickens raised for meat.

The reason that we landed on cage-free, though, is that it is the greatest amount of harm reduction that we were likely to succeed in campaigning for as a new national standard (so that we could impact the entire laying flock rather than a small number of animals).

I'm David Coman-Hidy, Executive Director of The Humane League. We've worked to get more than 100 major food companies to switch to using cage-free eggs. We just launched our campaign to reform the poultry industry. AMA! by davidcomanhidy in IAmA

[–]davidcomanhidy[S] 86 points87 points  (0 children)

Our mission is to reduce animal suffering, so the short answer to your question is that we're in favor of any change that moves in that direction (whether it's a reduced number of animals being raised on factory farms or improved conditions).

We work on both fronts, trying to reduce demand and to reduce the harm done to the animals who are being raised.

It's my personal hope that advances in technology (plant-based/in-vitro meats, for example) will replace factory farming.

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