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Farmed Animal Law

Professor(s)

Semester

2021 Summer Environmental - Term 3

About This Class

In the U.S., federal agencies that regulate meat, egg, and dairy production have comparatively little say over how farmed animals are bred, confined, or handled prior to slaughter.  Filling this void is a growing body of state and local farmed animal welfare laws, some of which are poised to transform industrial animal agriculture as we know it.  Recognizing this, a small handful of integrators, including Tyson, Cargill, JBS, and Smithfield, are promoting expansive, exclusive federal controls.  Caught in the middle are tens of billions of animals enduring brutal conditions in the name of maximized yield.  Are we witnessing the beginning of the end of CAFO agriculture?  Or will state and local welfare standards be invalidated by the federal courts? The answers lie in the constitutional principles of federalism, in the breadth of congressional Commerce Clause authority, and in the role of commercial speech First Amendment protections for labeling claims and “humane” certification programs. No prior legal study required.

Class Code

ENV5902

Subject

Environmental Law