State Issue 2 would provide sensible oversight of farming

State Issue 2 would provide sensible oversight of farming

The Ohio Constitution is arguably not the best vehicle for establishing a Livestock Care Standards Board as proposed in Ohio’s Issue 2, but now that it is on the ballot, it is important for Ohio voters to approve it. The alternative would present the possibility for chaos over an issue that isn’t going away and must be addressed in a reasonable manner and with reasonable results.

Collectively, farming is big business in Ohio, producing revenue of more than $90 billion and more than 900,000 jobs. And while a portion of that activity is at factory farms, Ohio remains a state rich in family farms and is a state made richer by its 75,000 farm families.

No one is more committed to taking proper care of their livestock than family farmers, and no one resents the excesses of factory farms more than family farmers.

So it is only appropriate that Ohio law recognizes the need for farming, the value it adds to our state and the necessity for properly policing farm operations. The Livestock Care Standards Board that would be created by State Issue 2 does that, and does it in such a way that Ohioans can be confidant that the interests of farmers and consumers are being protected. At the same time, no one wants farm animals to be put through unnecessary pain or suffering, and people who are concerned about the proper treatment of livestock should be comfortable with the make up of the board.

The board would represent farmers, consumers, agricultural specialists and advocates for animals. Specifically, the board members would be:

-The director of the state department that regulates agriculture.

-Ten members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, including:

-One member representing family farms.

-One member knowledgeable about food safety.

-Two members representing statewide organizations that represent farmers.

-One member who is a veterinarian.

-The State Veterinarian in the state department that regulates agriculture.

-The dean of the agriculture department of a college or university in Ohio.

-Two members of the public representing Ohio consumers.

-One member representing a county humane society.

-One member appointed by the Speaker of the House who shall be a family farmer.

-One member appointed by the President of the Senate who shall be a family farmer.

That is a list of people that could alarm only those who don’t believe in animal husbandry, but ascribe to a philosophy of animal rights that is outside the mainstream.

And that’s precisely why this issue has come to be on the ballot at this time in Ohio. Advocates for passage of Issue 2 point to the growing power of an animal rights movement that has attempted, and sometimes succeeded, in placing unrealistic restrictions on farming by launching campaigns that appeal to emotions rather than reality. Every hog becomes Wilbur who was “some pig” in “Charlotte’s Web,” just as every deer becomes “Bambi” to those who campaign against hunting.

The future of farming in Ohio — and the future treatment of livestock — is better protected by the board that will be established by Issue 2 than any alternative that might be produced by years of unending campaigns by special interests groups. The underlying interest of those groups is to promote a vegetarian lifestyle by making it increasingly difficult to bring meat to the market at a price the average carnivore can afford.

The board will establish and implement livestock standards based on a wide range of factors that include, but are not limited to, agricultural best management practices for such care and well-being, biosecurity, disease prevention, animal morbidity and mortality data, food safety practices, and the protection of local, affordable food supplies for consumers. That should be good enough for most Ohioans, and it is the reason The Vindicator urges a yes vote on State Issue 2.