Julia Tomkins Wisner
Here’s what leading journalists and experts say about building a more resilient, compassionate food system.
Factory farming’s cruel practices have supercharged the bird flu crisis, but rolling back animal protection laws isn’t the answer.
In a powerful new analysis for Vox, senior reporter Kenny Torrella exposes how the factory farming industry’s cruel practices created the perfect conditions for bird flu to thrive—and why attempts to roll back animal protection laws won't solve the crisis.
He examines recent efforts in Nevada, Michigan, and Colorado to suspend or repeal cage-free egg laws in response to egg shortages and price spikes. But as experts explain, these misguided attempts to maintain business as usual ignore the root cause: a broken food system that prioritizes profits over the wellbeing of animals, workers, and public health.
“Repealing state bans on cages won’t stop the spread of bird flu,” The Humane League’s Senior Policy Counsel Hannah Truxell told Vox. “It would, however, reverse years of critical food industry progress.”
That progress has been significant—thanks to state laws and corporate commitments, 40% of egg-laying hens are now cage-free, sparing about 100 million birds annually from life in cruel battery cages. While cage-free facilities are far from perfect, they represent an important step away from the worst factory farming practices.
The article reveals how industrial animal agriculture has actually supercharged the bird flu virus. By cramming genetically similar animals into filthy, overcrowded facilities, factory farms create perfect conditions for diseases to spread and mutate. Nearly all dangerous bird flu strains over the past 60+ years emerged from poultry factory farms.
Yet instead of addressing these systemic risks, the industry continues receiving billions in taxpayer bailouts while fighting against even modest animal welfare reforms. As Torrella writes, this sends “a message to the industry that policymakers won't question the foundational risks of the factory farm system.”
The good news? There are solutions. The article explores how forward-thinking policies could help transition away from factory farming while supporting more sustainable, plant-based food production. Countries like Denmark and the Netherlands are already leading the way.
With bird flu now infecting dairy cows and other mammals, experts warn the virus could trigger the next pandemic. This crisis shows why we must fundamentally reimagine our food system—not double down on cruel practices that harm animals and endanger public health.
The full article is available at Vox, offering an important look at how factory farming affects us all. By working together, we can build a more resilient and compassionate food system that works better for animals and people alike.
