Rural Issue

Animal rights movement had some setbacks in 2014

The animal rights movement, led by the Humane Society of the United States, has suffered some stinging defeats over the past year, including its failure to gain traction for a federal egg law; a 16-million dollar settlement with the circus; passage of Missouri’s Farming Rights amendment; and most recently, New Jersey governor Chris Christie’s veto of a gestation stall bill.

Brian Klippenstein, executive director of Protect the Harvest, says those defeats are the result of animal industries pushing back against what he calls “the animal rights bullies”.  But he warns that those activists are not going away.  He predicts they will continue to pressure food retailers to require their suppliers to make changes in production practices—changes which Klippenstein says will ultimately be paid for by consumers.

Klippenstein spoke at the annual meeting of Nebraska’s We Support Agriculture coalition in Lincoln.  We visited with him there.

AUDIO: Brian Klippenstein