“Animal rights activists take many approaches. There are environmental groups that would like to see the end of animal production and consumption,” said Hannah Thompson-Weeman, Animal Agriculture Alliance, during her presentation at the Poultry Market Intelligence Forum held during the 2017 International Production & Processing Expo in Atlanta, Ga. Thompson-Weeman discussed the many external influences that affect the poultry industry in her presentation titled, “Securing the Poultry Industry’s Future: Responding to Animal Right Activist Threats.”
Thompson-Weeman mentioned that these groups of animal rights activists have several tactics for which producers should be aware. She remarked that recently activists have been attempting to gain access to farms following floods in North Carolina to obtain pictures or videos of animals in difficult conditions, attempting to present the animals’ situation as their normal existence. The people visit or trespass on farms with no concept of biosecurity. They also invest in youth, giving talks against animal production and meat consumption in high schools and colleges, in addition to advocating to religion to present their points of view.