The most publicized animal rights issue this fall was proposition 204 in Arizona which prohibited veal crates for calves and gestation crates for pigs. A similar initiative was passed regarding gestation crates in 2002, and was successful in essentially eliminating the already small pig industry in Florida.

The animal rights movement has found a model for success and they took it to Arizona where this measure passed by a whopping 61% of the vote. While the agricultural industry was not prepared for the initiative in Florida, they were well funded and well aware of the threat to their industries by this initiative. But, they were simply outgunned on an issue that inherently has the support of the public as they are not educated on the issue.

We can expect these initiatives to emerge at a more rapid pace, and agriculture is going to have to figure out how to band together to counteract the massive funding disadvantage that agriculture is going to have. If they pick each state off one by one, step by step, they will have won not because of the correctness of their agenda, but because of a vastly superior implementation of tactics and strategy.
-- Troy Marshall