Former Georgia governor Sonny Perdue was confirmed today as secretary of agriculture, following a hearing last month that was more fluff than substance. Though Perdue is not as controversial as some Trump appointees, there are still serious reasons for concern.
Perdue is not only the former governor of one of the biggest poultry producing states but also the former head of several agribusiness companies. He has a history of mixing politics and business, handing out key staff positions to campaign donors and business associates, reports Politico. In 2009, he also approved a law stopping local governments from regulating factory farms after he received major contributions from the animal agriculture industry.
Now that Perdue is tasked with enforcing the nation’s most important animal welfare laws, we need to make sure he does his job.
For starters, Perdue should enact two key regulations that have been frozen by the Trump administration: the revised animal welfare standards under the National Organic Program, which would dramatically improve the lives of chickens on organic farms, and the Farmer Fair Practice Rules, which would help level the playing field between small farmers and large corporations.
Perdue will take over an agency plagued by official findings of ineffective enforcement of the only federal law that addresses treatment of animals slaughtered for meat: The Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. Under this law, “animals (as defined by the agency—more on that shortly) must be unconscious before they are slaughtered. But the USDA’s own internal watchdog has slammed the agency for failing to uphold this law even against the most sickening violations.
Even Congress has gotten involved, taking the agency to task in hearings for poor enforcement of the law and retaliation against whistleblowers. But the USDA continues to push industry-friendly policies, including increased slaughter speed and removal of inspectors from the slaughter line.
The agency has also decided that chickens, who make up 98 percent of land animals slaughtered in the U.S. each year, are exempt from this law. So even the most horrific acts of cruelty, such as those captured in this undercover investigation of a Tyson chicken slaughter plant, can be inflicted with impunity.
It is time for change. Consumers and advocates alike will be watching to see whether Perdue takes the lead on these and other important issues facing the USDA.
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