In Canada, the vast majority of farmed animals are kept locked up in barns, away from public view. In most provinces, there are no regulations for on-farm animal welfare, and no government inspectors to proactively monitor conditions. Standard industry practices are undeniably cruel, yet one of the only ways that abuse on farms has been brought to light is when employees blow the whistle.
Ag gag laws became common in the United States in the 2010s to shut down undercover investigations and “gag” animal protection organizations that were exposing shocking abuse and cruelty at slaughterhouses and meat, egg, and dairy farms. Fearful of losing profits, the powerful meat industry lobbied states to pass ag gag laws to outlaw the hidden-camera videos and cover up the cruelty.
Canada had previously avoided ag gag laws. But in recent years, an increased focus on cruelty in the farming industry has given the public a glimpse of the suffering that animals endure. Footage from Canadian farms has shown animals beaten, crushed, and kicked. Standard industry practices have also been exposed, like slicing off the tails and horns of animals without anaesthesia, killing piglets by smashing their heads against a concrete floor, and confining mother pigs in crates so small that they can’t even turn around. Now, the meat industry is pushing for ag gag laws to keep people in the dark about cruelty on farms.
The History of Ag Gag laws in Canada
Alberta passed Canada’s first ag gag law in November 2019, designed to silence whistleblowers and stop them from exposing animal abuse at factory farms and slaughterhouses, as well as puppy mills, fur farms, research laboratories, and other private property where animals are kept. Ontario passed its own ag gag law in June, 2020, followed by Manitoba in May, 2021. Several other provinces are being lobbied by industry to pass similar laws.
Politicians claim these ag gag laws are simply meant to discourage people from trespassing on farms. But in reality, ag gag laws go much further than stopping trespassing. Their main function is to cover up animal cruelty. Ag gag laws take many forms, and often ban employee whistleblower exposés from exposing cruelty and unsafe conditions at farms and slaughterhouses by making it an offence to gain access to agricultural property under “false pretences,” effectively shutting down undercover investigations.
Risk to Humans
Concealing farming conditions furthers the risk of deadly viruses and other pathogens emerging from factory farms. Although employee whistleblowers are often motivated to expose the treatment of animals raised and slaughtered for food, whistleblowers also frequently observe and record violations of public health laws. For instance, whistleblowers have exposed sick and injured animals being slaughtered and entering the human food chain, as well as animals with open sores and infections that go untreated. More, not less, oversight is needed to protect against biosecurity and food safety risks at industrial animal agriculture operations.
The Current State of Animal Protections within the Agriculture Industry
Due to the work of groups like Animal Justice, Humane Canada and others Canadians are more aware. They are increasingly concerned about the treatment of animals on farms, and most people are shocked to learn that the government lets the farming industry make up its own rules. This approach is self servicing for the industry. Our government, our taxpayer funds should be at work putting laws in place to protect farmed animals, and proactively monitor farms for compliance. Not only has the government given farmers carte blanche to determine what practices are acceptable (even if animals suffer), they are passing ag gag laws to hide that suffering and protect the powerful industries that support their political existence.
But thanks to increased public awareness, pressure is mounting on elected officials and the justice system to finally address the lack of protections farm animals endure.
Animal Justice continues to fight these unconstitutional laws and barriers to transparency. In April 2024, a judge struck down much of Ontario’s ag gag law as unconstitutional after Animal Justice and co-applicants mounted a legal challenge to the legislation.
The Ontario provincial government is appealing the Court’s decision.