Drone photography has been successfully used as evidence in a consumer deception lawsuit against an egg producer in the US.
The case resulted in a $287,500 settlement with Alderfer Poultry Farm, Inc. which includes the company removing all “free-roaming” claims from its marketing materials and packaging.
The legal action hinged on aerial images captured by Animal Outlook that showed facilities where allegedly “free-roaming” hens either had no visible outdoor access or were limited to small, wire-floored “porches” that could accommodate only a fraction of the facility’s birds. This innovative use of drone technology to document agricultural practices in the egg industry marks a significant shift in how visual evidence can be gathered and presented in consumer protection cases about eggs.
Drone surveillance of Alderfer facilities in Williamsport, PA, shows “free-roaming” hens who have only minimal semi-outdoor access, namely a screened-in porch area that is too cramped to accommodate more than a small percentage of the hens at once.
Ben Williamson, Executive Director of Animal Outlook, said, “This case sets an important precedent for using aerial photography to expose humane-washing claims in animal agriculture. Our drone documentation provided evidence that contradicted ‘free-roaming’ claims, we think marking the first time such imagery has been successfully used in a consumer deception lawsuit against an egg producer.”
The drone footage, captured by We Animals photographer Gregory Kemp, revealed conditions that appeared to contradict consumer expectations: according to a 2023 Dynata survey commissioned by Animal Outlook for the litigation, 93% of East Coast egg consumers believe “free-roaming” hens have daily outdoor access, while 70% expect these hens to have continuous access to natural ground cover. When shown images of an Alderfer porch from the investigation, 82% of respondents did not consider hens who had no access to the outdoors beyond this porch to be “free roaming.”
Original source: https://veganfta.com
https://www.animalagricultureclimatechange.org/marketing-meat-dairy-eggs/
