ATLANTA -- The egg industry is engaged in a "war" to combat actions by animal activists who "want to eliminate animal agriculture, want to eliminate our businesses," said Roger Deffner, chairman of the United Egg Producers at an Aug. 15 area meeting here.
The term "war" is used lightly in some areas, Deffner noted, but "it is not wrong in this" arena.
Deffner noted that the UEP's Animal Care Certified program has been under attack by animal activists.
The ACC guidelines, which are used by 85 percent of U.S. egg producers, were established by an independent scientific committee and are supported by USDA, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Food Marketing Institute, National Council of Chain Restaurants and the International Egg Commission.
Under the guidelines egg producers must follow established rules for housing and space allowance per hen; beak trimming, molting; and handling, transportation and slaughter.
However, activists seek the elimination of cages for the egg layer industry. They have also filed petitions with the Better Business Bureau and Federal Trade Commission over the ACC logo, which the activists claimed was false and misleading advertising and should be discontinued.
"How we determine the outcome of this war is how we determine our business," Deffner said, because the "ultimate goal" of the activists is to have animal agriculture "cease to exist."
"There has never been a time in history where we as UEP need to be more united," he stressed. "It's important that we're united and keep the big picture in mind as to what we want to achieve." The decisions made will go a long way toward how businesses are operated in the future, he added.
Deffner said he believed that "how we fare in this battle" will determine how other agricultural groups will fare, because, he said, the activist agenda is to "divide and conquer."
Activists, he said, have an "extremely creative" agenda which the egg industry must match. On the public relations side, Deffner noted that "if we lose the minds of the American people, we lose cages."
"Ultimately what we are fighting for is not a UEP program, but how we operate our businesses," Deffner said.
He called on every company to become more involved politically at the state and local level because, he said, the "next push" by activists will be there.
Gene Gregory, UEP senior vice president, also warned members about the actions being taken by animal activists to attack the ACC program.
However, he said, the UEP's scientific advisory committee is "still supportive of the cage industry."
Nevertheless, Gregory said, "We've got to fight this thing together . . . everybody needs to get on the ACC program if we want to save the caged system."
He pointed out that as late as 1999, Europe still had conventional cages.
Activists there have been successful in changing the rules for European layers with countries mandating enriched cages providing a larger area as well as a nest, perch and litter.
Conventional cages in Europe "are gone today and are not coming back, Gregory said, adding that the egg industry in Europe "has lost the battle."
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