Event Recap: Chase Adams, NPPC Assistant Vice President of Domestic Policy, participated in a Congressional Western Caucus panel discussing the effects of California’s Proposition 12 on livestock producers. The proposition restricts the sale of pork, veal, and eggs from animals raised in non-compliant housing.
Panel Insights: About 50 congressional agricultural staff attended the briefing. Adams, alongside representatives from the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, highlighted their concerns about Proposition 12.
NPPC’s Position: The NPPC has actively opposed Proposition 12 for five years, including a challenge before the U.S. Supreme Court. They continue working with Congress to find a solution, supporting a House Agriculture Committee’s 2024 Farm Bill provision to preempt states from imposing their own farm production standards on out-of-state producers.
Importance: Without addressing Proposition 12, pork producers must comply or forgo the California market, affecting 40 million consumers who account for 15% of U.S. pork sales. Compliance costs are prohibitive for many, particularly smaller producers. Similar laws in other states could compound these issues, with USDA data suggesting potential pork price increases of up to 41% in California.
