Current Press Releases

Farm Sanctuary Issues Statement on President-elect Obama’s Appointment of Gov. Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture

Watkins Glen, N.Y. – December 18, 2008 – Today, Gene Baur, president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, issued the following statement in response to President-elect Obama’s appointment of former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack as the new Secretary of Agriculture:

“Farm Sanctuary is concerned about the appointment of Governor Vilsack, but we are hopeful that we may see change during this administration that will benefit animals, the environment and rural communities. Vilsack has an uneven track record when it comes to farm animals and fighting factory farming. He has supported some animal protection measures and has at times stood up to Big Ag, yet he has also taken actions that are not in the best interest of farm animals or rural communities. During his tenure as governor of Iowa, the state saw a proliferation of massive hog farms, and we saw these hog farms first-hand this summer when we rescued pigs from the flooding in southeastern Iowa. How he will shape the USDA in support of Obama’s mantra of change is something Farm Sanctuary will be watching closely.

“Given the wide mandate of the Department of Agriculture and the Obama-Biden platform on food and the environment, the opportunity to do right by farm animals is immense. Vilsack is now in a prime position to restrict the negative impacts of factory farms, a significant contributor to global warming, as he will play a strong role in implementing the Obama administration’s vision on energy and climate change. Furthermore, by capping subsidies to large and corporate farmers—a measure supported by both Vilsack and Obama, he can curtail the USDA’s history of propping up the meat and dairy industries at the taxpayer’s expense. Food security, particularly given the current economy, is another of the new secretary’s priorities that can benefit from increased federal support for sustainable, plant-based agriculture.

“Farm Sanctuary is concerned about Vilsack’s past support of inhumane systems aimed at increasing the productivity of animals raised for food. President-elect Obama and the public at large are very supportive of organic and sustainable foods, and it is our hope that this will direct our national policy. But it’s critical for concerned citizens to weigh in. This is not a time for us to be complacent, but a time to remind Vilsack that the USDA was founded as the people’s department, not the factory farmers’ department.”

More about this appointment can be found on Gene Baur’s blog at http://www.genebaur.com/blogengine.net/default.aspx.

Farm Sanctuary is the nation's leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the "food animal" industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at www.farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.