Dear Editor,

I am writing with concern over a bill, the Farm Security and Farm Protection Act, that has been introduced in Congress and, if passed, would eliminate states’ ability to regulate the agricultural products sold within their borders. More than 30 protective state laws in Georgia are directly threatened by this bill, many designed to prevent disease transmission through mandatory disease reporting and restrictions on the import of sick animals.

Federal regulations, which states would be forced to accept, do not adequately protect public health or consumer welfare. Federal law allows for the extreme confinement of farm animals. Pigs and veal calves can, and routinely are, kept in metal crates so small they cannot turn around, and chickens are often kept in cages no larger than a sheet of paper, unable to spread their wings. In addition to animal welfare concerns, public health and consumer welfare are threatened by these practices.

Animals in these conditions are kept by the thousands, creating ideal environments for the spread of disease. States would lose the ability to enact higher standards that lessen the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. This bill also threatens laws concerning plant disease prevention, food quality and safety, fishing, horse slaughter, religious labeling, environmental protections, water quality regulations, and more.

It is essential to take action and ask our representatives that this bill and similar language is not included in the 2025 farm bill. Georgia residents should be able to set standards for our state that reflect our values and needs.

Sincerely,

Ania Ting