When Brad Pitt and Other Stars Say ‘Stop,’ Does Big Farming Listen?
It’s become a tradition for Hollywood stars to protest what some perceive as cruel industrial farming practices. When well-known actors lend their name to a cause, it can be a public relations nightmare for agribusinesses and the companies that buy from them. Sometimes it leads to policy changes; sometimes it doesn’t.
In the most recent celebrity-studded campaign against confinement farming, actor Brad Pitt and talk show host Bill Maher joined Ryan Gosling in calling for Costco to ban the use of poultry battery cages used by farms that supply the massive food retailer.
The celebrities’ concern came on the heels of an undercover investigation in June by the Humane Society of the United States that allegedly revealed inhumane and unsafe practices at Hillandale Farms in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, an egg supplier for Costco, which is the second-largest grocery retailer in the country.
The video shows chickens with open sores in filthy cages, some sharing space with the remains of dead birds. Parts of the footage show animals that appear to have wings or their heads stuck in between the cage bars.
Last month, Hillandale Farms responded to the video in a letter to their customers, saying the footage “misrepresents” the company. They blamed the person who made the video since “he was the primary caretaker, with responsibility to maintain cleanliness in the barns, address any equipment issues and remove mortality on a daily basis.”
The company went on to say that they had high standards and an excellent health and safety record, but had “identified some areas” in which they could do better and had “put measures in place” to improve its processes and expand training for its staff.
Costco also responded to the issue in June, saying the company was “committed to the ethical treatment of animals,” utilizes independent testing and inspection of its suppliers, and offers customers a variety of organic and cage-free eggs at its stores. The company then waded into the confinement cage controversy.
“There are vigorous debates about animal welfare and laying hens,” the company said in the statement on its website. “Some, such as the Humane Society, advocate that hens be ‘cage free,’ and not confined in cages. Some advocate that cages are safer for hens. Some jurisdictions, such as California, have laws mandating that eggs derive from hens confined in cages of a certain size.”
Various stars have supported organizations working towards ending industrial animal farming practices. The Humane Society counts Kate Mara, of “House of Cards,” and Emily Deschanel of the television show “Bones,” as supporters in its fight against confinement farming. The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), has the backing of actors Alec Baldwin and Pamela Anderson, the television actress best known for the 1990s show “Baywatch,” among others.
In the past, celebrity-endorsed animal rights campaigns have been successful in changing how companies source their animal products. Back in 2000, a PETA campaign that had help from Hollywood stars was partly responsible for McDonald’s making some animal welfare policy changes.
In 2001, PETA launched its “Murder King” campaign that had the celebrity backing of Baldwin, Richard Pryor and other stars. The target, Burger King, eventually agreed to a number of changes in how it sourced its eggs and meat. PETA continued to work behind the scenes and in 2007, Burger King agreed to further changes, including sourcing two percent of its eggs and 10 percent of its pork from farms that didn’t use cages for its chickens or gestation crates for pigs. Baldwin also did a voice over for a 2002 PETA video, “Meet Your Meat,” that the organization says helped push the fast food company towards implementing changes.
Anderson, a vegan with a long history of animal rights activism, has worked with PETA for several years on anti-industrial farming campaigns, including an on-going one against KFC that began in 2003. While other corporations have bowed to pressure, the fast-food giant has refused to agree to the animal activists’ demands for more humane treatment of the birds they source. This doesn’t include KFC Canada, which implemented changes in 2008 that included sourcing chickens killed using gas, considered a more humane method of slaughter, and ensuring less crowded conditions for the chickens. This resulted in PETA lifting their campaign there, but not for the rest of the chicken empire.
Only time will tell whether Pitt and his pals will be able to force Costco to change its policies, but you can be sure organizations such as PETA and the Humane Society will continue to rely on Hollywood to bring awareness to their anti-industrial farming causes.
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Thank you for creating awareness regarding animals in factory farms. I feel the general population has no clue of the horrendous pain and suffering FACTORY farmed animals endure. Please create more awareness. People need to fully understand what’s happening in Factory farms behind closed door. Factory farms need to be shut down. I don’t eat animals but what can I do to help?