In today’s Beef Buzz, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays speaks with Pat McFerron of CMA Strategies, who warns that Proposition 12 in California, which dictates pork and egg production standards, is a gateway for anti-animal agriculture groups to expand restrictions nationwide. “The anti-animal agriculture crowd would like to spread the Proposition 12 chaos to other species and other states, including Oklahoma,” he said. McFerron explained this challenge to the Oklahoma Pork Congress, stressing that the impact reaches beyond just economics. “We’ve got to continue to educate people about the importance of agriculture and agribusiness, not just to our economy, but also to our values and our core structure of who Oklahomans really are.”
He noted that Oklahoma’s political makeup makes it a tempting target for activist groups. “Oklahoma is a target for them… if we can make a difference here, we can do that anywhere, it’s kind of their mindset.” The state’s relatively low campaign costs make it even more vulnerable. “Compared to other places, [it’s] relatively cheap entry to run a State Question, to run a campaign, to buy television and radio, and so it puts us at the tip of the spear in these kind of fights.”
McFerron warned against complacency and division within agriculture. “They know the phrase divide and conquer, and that’s their goal. They’ll say, ‘Hey, today we’re going after pork… we’re not going to touch you.’ And then three years later… they’ll come again.” He urged unity across all livestock and related industries, from beef to poultry to rodeo, in order to resist piecemeal attacks on different sectors.
He also stressed the importance of continuous outreach. “You can never stop telling the story… what you do, why it’s important, how you’re serving the public, how you’re serving your community, how you’re employing people… We’ve got to do a better job about bragging about the importance of what we do and how these kind of efforts really jeopardize that.” McFerron emphasized that every part of animal agriculture has “a good story” to share and that telling it is essential to counter misinformation.
Looking ahead, McFerron acknowledged that some are seeking federal action to roll back Proposition 12, but he remains cautious. “Maybe I’m a little jaded or cynical, but I don’t have a lot of faith in Washington D.C. being able to do a whole lot of things right now… I don’t think we can rest and wait on that. We’ve got to be girded for battle here.” He warned that both state and national groups—such as the Kirkpatrick Foundation and the Humane World for Animals—have “lots of money… to convince voters that it’s the right thing to do to restrict farmers [and] ranchers from how they raise their livestock and care for them.”
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
