California has become the first place globally to legally ban the confinement of animals in cages. The new legislation, which took effect in January 2024, prohibits the sale of pork, veal, and eggs obtained from animals kept in cramped housing that fails to meet specific minimum space requirements. The ban also extends to imported products.

California is the most populous state in the US, with nearly 40 million people. In 2018, Proposition 12 was approved by voters and constituents with a vast majority. However, industrial animal husbandry companies have been challenging this legislation since its inception. Finally, in 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the law after the San Francisco Court of Appeals agreed with a judge's decision to dismiss the pork industry's complaint.

Proposition 12 is a highly progressive animal welfare legislation that aims to reduce animal suffering. It mandates specific minimum housing space requirements for food-producing animals and effectively bans cages for laying hens, sows, and calves. This legislation has the potential to significantly improve the lives of millions of animals by prohibiting the sale of imported products that come from animals raised in cramped cages.

The EuroGroup for Animals (EFA), a coalition of 98 NGOs throughout Europe, proposes that EU legislation use Californian regulations as a benchmark.

"Proposition 12 paves the way to include imported products in the much-awaited revision of the EU’s animal welfare legislation," reads EFA’s website.

EFA stressed: "At the moment, most of the EU’s animal welfare standards do not apply to imports, thereby making low welfare products from abroad cheaper to import, which fuels cruel animal production in third countries."

Source: eurogroupforanimals.org