Countless undercover investigations of factory farms and slaughterhouses illustrate a lack of compliance with the law.

Plenty of industrial farms and slaughterhouses not only participate in terrible cruelty against animals, but they also commit other legal violations, including risking public health.

Since the current methods of ensuring compliance with the law are not working, let’s use technology to help solve the problem. Let’s see transparency in animal agriculture through video camera surveillance.

Here are six reasons for video cameras in industrial animal agricultural facilities like slaughterhouses and factory farms:

1. Animal welfare - Video cameras would like reduce animal cruelty by encouraging workers to act in accordance with the law, because who knows who is watching? Current animal cruelty laws are not being enforced; this would help enforce them as well as help enforce future animal welfare laws.

2. Animal rights - Transparency in the meat and dairy industries do not harm the animal liberation movement. Cameras do not condone animal rights violations, they merely record them. Cameras would likely reduce meat consumption by helping some people become more aware of where their meat comes from. And because many slaughterhouses are currently violating health, safety, and cruelty laws, cameras would likely cut into their bottom line and make meat more expensive, which would also reduce meat consumption. With a growing trend towards plant-based diets and away from meat consumption, these cameras could help urge many people into veganism. Moreover, cameras alleviate some of the burden on animal advocates to witness animal cruelty and help remove some of the ethical dilemmas surrounding undercover investigations.

3. Labor rights - Cameras would help protect whistle-blowers and help ensure worker safety. Cameras would prove that slaughterhouse work is dangerous and could provide for better worker protections. No longer would it be the worker’s word against the boss’s word; it would be the camera proof, right there on video. Let’s see just how accurate those injury reports are.

4. Economy - Cameras would help reduce the number of recalls and related expenses due to health and safety violations. Also, because cameras would likely force all slaughterhouses to follow the laws, it would level the playing field a bit. Meat and dairy prices would probably rise, but it would merely be a reflection of actual costs and not an artificial inflation of price

5. Environment - Cameras would monitor all activities in slaughterhouses and industrial animal agriculture, including violations of environmental protection laws

6. Public health - Cameras would help protect against downed animals entering the meat supply. And it would speed up investigations of contaminated meat or dairy. The next e coli or salmonella outbreak might not be prevented just yet, but if there are cameras, at least there will be documented evidence of the origin of the contamination. And hopefully, with thorough monitoring of cameras, the next outbreak can be prevented.

What you can do:

• Please sign the petition here!
• Please write to Congress and ask for video cameras. You can find your representatives’ contact information at congress.org or senate.gov and house.gov.
• Please spread the word.

Sections: Vegan Activism, Vegan News
Topics: activism, veg, Vegan, video cameras