Washington, D.C. Oct. 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As the U.S. Supreme Court began hearings today, the Socially Responsible Agriculture Project (SRAP) reiterated its support for Proposition 12, a 2018 ballot measure that passed overwhelmingly 60 percent of California voters. Prop 12 sets standards for the production of pork and other foods sold in the state of California and creates important market opportunities for independent family farmers.

SRAP submitted Amicus letter in August on behalf of 17 organizations across the country, which highlighted the link between increasing consolidation and anti-competitive behavior rife in the food system. The briefing also shows how California’s Proposition 12 benefits independent and sustainable US farmers.

SRAP’s position challenges the perspective of the National Pork Producers and the American Farm Bureau Federation, who oppose Prop 12 because it will disrupt the market control of the multinational meat packers they represent. The order advocates for farmers outside of the hyper-concentrated supply chain and raises strong antitrust concerns.

Sherri Dugger, Managing Director of SRAP said: “The Big Ag lobby spends millions shaping every branch of government in favor of the corporate giants they represent. In this case, the point is simply that they are trying to set a precedent in the highest court to prevent voters from setting basic food production standards. ”

Greg Gunthorp from Gunthorp Farmsbased in LaGrange, Indiana, and a board member of the Indiana Farmers Union, said, “The petitioners, many of whom are foreign-owned multinationals, are enjoying record profits while many small farmers struggle to make ends meet. In fact, just in the last 19 years, between 1993 and 2012, the US lost about 70 percent of its hog farms. Farmers and rural communities must continue to grapple with the economic and environmental devastation of these corporations and their web of factory farms…