Animal Rights Movement Goes Mainstream

Animal rights activists, many of whom have lived on the fringes of advocacy in a way that alienated large segments of the American public, are increasingly adopting tactics that emphasize core values that many consumers share, according to a groundbreaking story in The New York Times today. The movement is maturing in a way that, you could say, parallels the larger environmental movement, 20 years its elder. Most consumers want to know that the meat they eat comes from animals that have been treated humanely. As animal welfare activists emphasize that middle road more than the vegan-or-nothing attitude the public perceives, they are getting more traction. They're also changing their tactics—using investor action and sophisticated mass marketing more than histrionics. As Congress debates the farm bill, it's clear that these advocates have a way to go—after all, free range eggs and the living spaces alloted for livestock aren't exactly priorities in American farm policy. But their turn toward the mainstream is a sign that they are letting popular sentiment guide the way. As author Kim Severson writes, "consumers increasingly want to do right by the animals they eat." To read the whole story, click here.

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