Protecting Food. Empowering Whistleblowers.

Food Integrity Campaign Blog

Is Idaho’s Ag Gag Law Constitutional? Lawsuit Takes Anti-Whistleblower Measure to Federal Court

Food Integrity Campaign | March 20, 2014

Last month, Idaho became the first state to pass an anti-whistleblower Ag Gag bill since 2012, a disappointing blow. But transparency in the state (already known for its history of anti-transparency legislation) isn’t going down without a fight! A group of organizations and journalists filed a lawsuit this week to overturn the law, which criminalizes […]

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Food Poisoning Bulletin: USDA Whistleblower Speaks Out Against Idaho’s Ag Gag Law

March 4, 2014

Dr. Daryl Jacobs, a USDA whistleblower from Idaho, has spoken out against that state’s ag gag law, which was signed by the governor last week. He has made a statement to Food Integrity Campaign about why undercover videos are needed to protect animals and to keep the food supply safe. He said, “as a former […]

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Idaho USDA Whistleblower on Ag Gag: “We Can Do Better than this Dangerous Law”

Food Integrity Campaign | February 28, 2014

More voices have come out against Idaho’s Ag Gag bill as attention on the state increases. First, Chobani has issued a statement against the anti-whistleblower legislation. Now, a USDA whistleblower from Idaho, Dr. Daryl Jacobs – who has witnessed many abuses on dairy farms in the state – has come forward to FIC with his […]

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Chobani Speaks Out against Idaho’s Ag Gag Bill, Urges Governor Veto

Food Integrity Campaign | February 28, 2014

A huge development has emerged as food integrity supporters continue to monitor Idaho’s potential passing of its anti-whistleblower Ag Gag bill. As the legislation reached Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter’s desk for approval yesterday (after both state houses passed the controversial measure), FIC and our coalition partners decided to put pressure on yogurt company Chobani […]

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Idaho Senate Passes Ag Gag Bill, Seeks to Mask Wrongdoers

Food Integrity Campaign | February 20, 2014

Idaho has a $2.5 billion dairy industry … with a lot to hide, apparently. The state Senate passed Idaho’s anti-whistleblower Ag Gag bill (S.1337) last Friday, which would make it a crime to photograph or videotape wrongdoing on a farm. The state has a history of enacting laws that make it easier for CAFOs (concentrated […]

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Poll: Consumers Call for More Government Oversight of Food Safety

Food Integrity Campaign | February 11, 2014

According to a 2014 Harris Poll, 73 percent of Americans think there should be more government oversight of the food supply. Someone should alert the USDA, since the agency is proposing the exact opposite: the removal of government inspectors in poultry plants and transferring their duties to private industry workers (who are not empowered to speak […]

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Pesticide Companies Sue Kauai to Stop Disclosure Law

Food Integrity Campaign | January 13, 2014

Several biotech/pesticide companies kept their word by filing a lawsuit on Friday against the County of Kauai to block implementation of the recently passed pesticide disclosure bill (now Ordinance 960). This news is very disappointing, but not entirely surprising, as the industry shows where its real priorities lie – certainly not with public health. FIC […]

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Industry’s New Ag Gag Strategy Has Same Endgame

Food Integrity Campaign | January 8, 2014

We already got a taste of it last year, but according to Food Safety News, Big Ag has revamped its legislative strategy for 2014 when it comes to silencing whistleblowers. As evidenced by the defeat of all 11 anti-whistleblower Ag Gag bills in 2013, it’s clear that the states won’t allow the animal agriculture industry […]

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Consumer Reports: The high cost of cheap chicken

January 1, 2014

Below is from Section 6: Taking animals off drugs. See the full report here. Most chicken raised in the U.S. today comes from large-scale commercial farms optimized to produce the most meat at the lowest cost. To meet domestic and global demand, the industry slaughters almost 9 billion chickens a year. A new USDA rule […]

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GAP Investigates Biotech Industry Influence on Hawaii Government Officials

Food Integrity Campaign | December 20, 2013

(LIHUE) – The Government Accountability Project (GAP) submitted several information requests to Hawaii state and county officials about meetings and communications with large biotech companies during the debate over Kauai’s pesticide and disclosure legislation, Bill 2491. The bill, now law, requires biotech companies to disclose pesticide use information and establish buffer zones between their fields […]

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