Over the past several years, animal rights activist organizations have increasingly built campaigns around retailers, restaurant chains, and major food brands. This is evident when we look at examples of recent “undercover video” campaigns that don’t even mention the farm name or location. Clearly the farm isn’t the main target. The footage may (allegedly) come from the farm, but the campaign is designed to reach consumers through a brand name they already know.
A campaign by Animal Equality last year provides a clear example. While the organization said the footage was captured at a “Midwest sow farm,” the farm itself wasn’t identified in any of the corresponding social posts, email blasts or media mentions. Ahold Delhaize, however, was named repeatedly—in the headline, throughout the news release, and in the campaign’s calls to action. The retailer, not the farm, was the focus.
Ahold Delhaize is hardly the only company to find itself in this position. Just the other week, another major retailer was in the same boat over a campaign related to broiler welfare. This is (unfortunately) becoming a primary tactic in the activist toolkit.
Shifting Strategies: Why Activists Target the Food Supply Chain
This narrative of targeting the brand reflects that broader shift in strategy by activists. Rather than focusing the attack on an individual farm or processor, activist organizations are using supply chain relationships to pressure retailers, restaurant chains and other consumer-facing brands. These companies have established reputations, loyal customer bases and public commitments related to sourcing and animal welfare. They also have far more visibility than an individual farm, making them attractive targets for campaigns intended to influence corporate policies and purchasing decisions.
In the pork space, the battleground continues to be over “commitments” related to sow housing, with animal rights groups pressuring the supply chain to ban gestation stalls. While the issue is often framed as a simple choice between stalls and group housing, the reality is considerably more complex. Housing systems for any type of animal are designed around a range of factors, including animal health and welfare, safety, nutrition, management practices, facility design and the ability of employees to monitor individual animals. As you well know, animal welfare is a major pillar of the agricultural community, supported through science-based practices, veterinary oversight, employee training and continuous improvement. But activist campaigns today are often designed to influence the public mindset towards an entire brand, regardless of where the footage comes from and the science behind what they may see.
From Corporate Commitments to Legislative Pressure
That pressure does not stop at corporate commitments. Activist campaigns and animal welfare initiatives can also create momentum for ballot initiatives, legislation, and litigation aimed at establishing or expanding specific production requirements. California’s Proposition 12 is one prominent example. The resulting legal and policy battles demonstrate how a debate that begins with animal housing can evolve into a much broader question about supply-chain requirements with the ultimate goal of controlling farmers’ ability to operate.
Is Your Farm Prepared for an Activist Campaign?
When these types of stories break, preparation is key. Responding effectively to an activist campaign is rarely the responsibility of one person or one department. Producers, processors, communications teams, animal care professionals, legal counsel and other industry partners all have a role to play. That means it is important to think through these scenarios before a campaign begins. If your farm, or a farm in your supply chain, became the focus of an activist campaign, would you know who to call? Would everyone understand their role? Are your relationships with customers and business partners strong enough to withstand outside pressure? Can you quickly explain your animal care practices, employee training, biosecurity measures and commitment to continuous improvement? Those conversations are much easier to have before an issue makes headlines.
Building Trust and Credibility Before a Crisis
An important piece of the puzzle is building trust before a crisis occurs. Farms and companies that consistently communicate about animal care and sustainability are on the path of establishing credibility long before they face criticism. Waiting until an activist campaign is underway makes it much harder to shape the conversation or correct misinformation. Undercover video campaigns are unlikely to disappear, but the way they are used continues to evolve. The footage may be captured on a farm, but the broader campaign may be aimed at a processor, food brand, retailer or the animal agriculture industry. In other words, the farm may be where the story starts, but it may not be where the campaign ends.
Pork producers and their industry partners should be asking not whether they could become connected to an activist campaign, but whether they are prepared if they do. Being prepared means knowing your role, knowing who you can turn to, and having established relationships and communication channels before a crisis begins.
