After last week’s post we received an outpouring of comments and support. Thank you for getting involved in this issue and standing up for farmers’ rights to speak out about industry abuse. However, some of you seem to have misconceptions about the industry. Many commenters suggested that farmers should “sell” the birds to other processors who do not force them to kill undersized birds. This suggestion illustrates a fundamental flaw in understanding how the industry works. 

So, here’s an infographic to better explain how the chicken industry works (http://bit.ly/PoultryIndustryInfographic). Generally speaking, farmers who contract with large corporations, like Tyson or Pilgrim’s Pride, do not own the birds. The company they contract with owns the birds. The companies actually own the birds that lay the eggs, the hatchery, the chicks, the adult chickens, the feed, and the processing plants. The farmers only own the houses the chickens are raised in and are paid to care for the birds until they are large enough to process.

Farmers don’t generally turn to contract poultry out of a love of working in these facilities. We do it out of economic necessity. The areas where most poultry farms are located have few other economic opportunities, and poultry companies promise high income for the work. Right now, farmers in America are facing a financial crisis. So, when farmers face the possibility of losing their farms, many will turn to contract poultry as a way of avoiding that fate. Unfortunately, the reality of the system never matches up with the promises of these corporations. Farmers face long, grueling work hours, unpredictable pay, and extreme debts that are difficult to escape. 

This industry preys on people with few options. That’s why it is so important to support strong safeguards that protect farmers when we tell the truth about the industry. We need to reform this industry and make it better for farmers, livestock, rural communities, and our environment. 

Soon, the USDA will release the proposed draft of the Undue Preference rule, and will start accepting comments. We need you to show your support by making comments that force the USDA to craft a strong rule to protect farmers from corporate abuse. We will let you know as soon as the comment period opens.

To view the full infographic, visit: http://bit.ly/PoultryIndustryInfographic

To learn more about our work, visit: https://rafiusa.org/blog/DCTripRecap