NO MORE FACTORY FARMS BERKELEY
ABOUT THE INITIATIVE
No More Factory Farms Berkeley is an initiative ordinance prohibiting Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), also known as factory farms, in the city of Berkeley. We’ve gathered and submitted nearly 4,500 signatures from Berkeley voters and have qualified for the Nov 2024 ballot!
The ordinance intends to protect all residents of Berkeley, including nonhuman animals, from the harmful effects of factory farming and lay the groundwork for California as a whole to transition away from intensive animal agriculture.
CAFOs are agricultural operations where large numbers of animals are confined and fed. CAFOs are a leading cause of methane emissions, contribute to the drought and wildfires in California, pose a serious threat to public health, are a driver of biodiversity loss, and create dangerous and exploitative working conditions. CAFOs also confine and abuse billions of animals in the US every year. There is overwhelming scientific evidence that nonhuman animals have emotions, personalities, and the ability to feel pain, fear, and stress. Passing this ordinance will affirm Berkeley’s commitment to the protection of animals, the environment, workers, and public health.
For all of the above reasons, Berkeley should become a CAFO-free city and lead the way for the rest of the state and country to do the same.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL TEXT OF THE INITIATIVE ORDINANCE
frequently asked questions
Why a ballot initiative? The short answer is because legislators have failed us. Compassionate Bay, along with over a dozen other organizations, has been advocating for a statewide CAFO moratorium for years. In 2022, our campaign became a real bill in the California Assembly: AB 2764. However, the bill died before getting even a single vote. In Berkeley, the mayor did not even respond to an email request to discuss a resolution in support of a factory farm moratorium. Many legislators in California receive large campaign contributions from the animal agriculture industry and are too timid to take a stand and do what must be done for animals and our planet. A ballot initiative provides citizens an opportunity to take the power back and directly pass legislation ourselves. In 2018, over 62% of Californians voted in favor of Prop 12, a ballot measure that established new minimum requirements for the space given to animals on farms. We know that Californians overwhelmingly care about animals and the environment. If our legislators won’t act, we will.
Why do you need to ban CAFOs in Berkeley? Berkeley is not a city known for CAFOs, but it is a city known for leading the way on social justice issues. When Berkeley banned fur in 2017, despite not selling much, if any, fur, it set the stage for San Francisco and the entire state of California to ban the sale of fur in the subsequent two years. We can do the same with factory farming!
But this ordinance is not merely symbolic. You might be surprised to hear that there is, in fact, a CAFO in Berkeley: Golden Gate Fields horse racing track. The stables at this track confine upwards of 1,200 horses, many of whom are in stalls for 20+ hours a day. Over 75 horses have been killed at Golden Gate Fields over the past 5 years. UPDATE: Mid-way through signature collection, Golden Gate Fields announced they would be shutting down! This is a massive win and one more step towards Berkeley being a CAFO-free city. We will continue to pursue this initiative for all other listed reasons and to also ensure Golden Gate Fields sticks to their promise to close.
Lastly, as massive agricultural corporations continually seek to expand their operations, it will be important to protect Berkeley from ever becoming the site of another destructive, violent factory farm.
Has this been done before? Limiting or prohibiting CAFOs is not a unique idea. Legislation on this issue has been introduced or passed in states as diverse as Utah, Iowa, Arkansas, and North Dakota. Federally, Senator Cory Booker has introduced the Farm Systems Reform Act that would place a moratorium on large CAFOs across the country.
What’s so bad about Golden Gate Fields? Hundreds of horses have been trained and raced to death at Golden Gate Fields. Horses are raced as young as 2 years old, even though their bones are still developing and devices like twitches and stud chains are commonly used to get young horses into the starting gate. Horses are drugged to mask pain, hiding smaller injuries that lead to catastrophic injuries during exertion. Horses are fed a diet for speed and energy, not health, so many horses develop ulcers that lead to colic from poor diets too high in sugar. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association reports that half of all horses bred for racing go to slaughter. Additionally, Golden Gate Fields profits off of those with gambling addictions, pollutes the local environment, and takes up over 100 acres of land that could be used to meet the needs of East Bay residents.
When will this be voted on? Once the signatures have been verified from Alameda County officials, the City Council has the option to directly pass the ordinance themselves. If they choose not to, the ordinance will appear on the November 2024 ballot.
Who is behind this? No More Factory Farms Berkeley is a coalition comprised of multiple organizations including Compassionate Bay, Direct Action Everywhere, and the Berkeley Organization for Animal Advocacy.
What would happen to the workers at the stables? Given the update that Golden Gate Fields announced closure on their own, the City of Berkeley has already expressed their intent to support workers in this transition and we are in full support of this effort.
How can I sign the petition? The signature gathering phase is over!
How can I volunteer? With the signature gathering phase over with, there is not much work to be done at the moment. We may need some help with marketing, advertising, and voter outreach closer to the November 2024 election.
How can I contact someone from the campaign? Email us at berkeleyballot@compassionatebay.org.
