From Label to Liable: Scams, Scandals and Secrecy - Voiceless
From Label to Liable: Scams, Scandals and Secrecy - Voiceless
From Label to Liable: Scams, Scandals and Secrecy - Voiceless
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2. ANIMAL PROTECTION AND THE NEW<br />
CONSUMER REVOLUTION<br />
I. A growing movement<br />
a) Each year more than 540 million farm animals<br />
are raised in Australia for food or food production<br />
purposes. Most of these animals never live <strong>to</strong> see<br />
the sun or feel the earth under their feet. The<br />
overwhelming majority spend their lives confined<br />
indoors, where they are denied their natural<br />
behaviours <strong>and</strong> interactions <strong>and</strong> are subject <strong>to</strong><br />
mutilations without pain relief.<br />
b) Until recently, the suffering of farm animals has<br />
largely occurred behind closed doors; however in<br />
recent times public awareness about the suffering of<br />
animals has increased. This has led <strong>to</strong> marked changes<br />
in the community’s attitudes <strong>to</strong>wards animals.<br />
c) The animal protection movement has been<br />
growing in size <strong>and</strong> legitimacy, both in Australia <strong>and</strong><br />
around the world. It is now comparable in force <strong>to</strong><br />
the environmental movement 20 years ago. Back<br />
then, environmentalists were considered ‘radical<br />
greenies’. Today, almost 3 million Australians donate<br />
time or money <strong>to</strong> help protect the environment<br />
<strong>and</strong> 89% of Australians purchase environmentally<br />
friendly products. 6<br />
d) The animal protection movement is following<br />
suit <strong>and</strong> animal protection is becoming a concern<br />
of many mainstream Australians. For example,<br />
Australia’s peak animal protection body, Animals<br />
Australia, has experienced more than 400% growth<br />
in its support base in the past three years. 7 Other<br />
indica<strong>to</strong>rs that public perceptions of animals are<br />
changing include:<br />
i) A survey carried out by Roy Morgan Research<br />
revealed that the percentage of Australians who<br />
consider animal welfare <strong>and</strong> cruelty <strong>to</strong> animals <strong>to</strong><br />
be an important social issue increased from 29%<br />
<strong>to</strong> 54% between 1994 <strong>and</strong> 2000. 8<br />
ii) In the 2005-06 budget, the Federal<br />
Government allocated $6 million <strong>to</strong> the<br />
implementation of an Australian Animal Welfare<br />
Strategy, 9 designed <strong>to</strong> achieve an enhanced<br />
national approach <strong>to</strong> animal welfare. 10<br />
iii) In the 2006-07 budget, the Federal<br />
Government introduced legislation intended <strong>to</strong><br />
create a new deductible gift recipient category<br />
for animal welfare. 11<br />
iv) In a 2006 national survey, participants<br />
identified fac<strong>to</strong>ry farming practices <strong>and</strong><br />
treatment of lives<strong>to</strong>ck as amongst the most<br />
prominent issues in Australian animal welfare. 12<br />
e) This change in public sentiment <strong>to</strong>wards the<br />
suffering of animals is not confined <strong>to</strong> Australia. In<br />
fact, support for the animal protection movement<br />
is gathering momentum well beyond our shores.<br />
For example:<br />
i) North America’s largest <strong>and</strong> most powerful<br />
animal protection organisation, The Humane<br />
Society of the United States (HSUS), has nearly<br />
10 million members. 13 It seeks <strong>to</strong> create<br />
meaningful social change for animals <strong>and</strong> <strong>to</strong> fight<br />
cruelty <strong>and</strong> animal abuse in all its forms through<br />
education, litigation <strong>and</strong> lobbying. 14<br />
6 Australian Bureau of Statistics, Environmental Issues: People’s Views <strong>and</strong> Practices, 24 November 2004 .<br />
7 Glenys Oogjes, Executive Direc<strong>to</strong>r, Animals Australia, pers comm, 15 December 2006.<br />
8 Meat <strong>and</strong> Lives<strong>to</strong>ck Australia, Animal Welfare Issues Survey 2000, March 2002, 6.<br />
9 Department of Agriculture, Fisheries <strong>and</strong> Forestry, Commonwealth Government, National Implementation Plan of the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy,<br />
(2006) .<br />
10 Department of Agriculture, Fisheries <strong>and</strong> Forestry, Commonwealth Government, Australian Animal Welfare Strategy, (2005)<br />
.<br />
11 Although this legislation was not intended <strong>to</strong> enable all animal protection organisations <strong>to</strong> attract funds from individuals <strong>and</strong> family foundations<br />
(registered as prescribed private funds), its introduction indicates that the government is increasingly willing <strong>to</strong> recognise the community’s interest in<br />
animal welfare. See Tax Laws Amendment (Measures No. 3) Bill 2006, Item 4.1.6.<br />
12 TNS Social Research Consultants, Attitudes Toward Animal Welfare, July 2006, 3.2.<br />
13 The Humane Society of the United States, About Us .<br />
14 Ibid.<br />
<strong>From</strong> <strong>Label</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Liable</strong> Lifting the veil on animal-derived food product labelling in Australia 7