Mercy for Animals (MFA) is an animal liberation group that seeks to abolish animal agriculture. In the short run, it advocates for policies that increase government regulations on livestock farming practices. MFA has faced criticism for creating misleading narratives in order to target and accuse farmers of abuse. [1] [2] Founder Nathan Runkle has been arrested several times in association with protests while working for other animal liberation groups. [3]
Operations
Mercy for Animals’ legal advocacy department challenges the practices of animal farms and advocating for laws restricting the sale of livestock products. [4] MFA hires activists it calls “investigators” to record video footage used for animal liberation advocacy. [5] [6]
Political Activity
California Egg Measures
In 2008 MFA supported the passage of Proposition 2 in California to increase the cost of production for California egg farmers, decreasing sales within the state. In 2013 an amendment to the federal Farm Bill was proposed to restore access to the market in California, although it failed. In 2016, several state attorneys general and Iowa’s governor sued then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris (D), along with the Humane Society. The suit failed, and California legislators have been seeking to further expand such regulations conceived by MFA. [7] [8] [9] In November 2018, California passed Proposition 12, with egg farm regulations proposed by MFA to take effect by 2022. [10]
Humane Society of the United States
In 2010, MFA engaged in a joint campaign with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) on a ballot initiative and supported a bill lobbied for by HSUS to increase federal regulations on the farming industry. [11]
Buckeye Egg Farm
In 2001, Mercy for Animals staff entered a hen house owned by Buckeye egg farm and allegedly stole 34 hens. Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Fred Dailey made recommendations to prosecute the intruders, while the department also deemed their actions a “biosecurity hazard”. Buckeye egg farm declined to prosecute after coming to an agreement with Mercy for Animals to start “dialogue.” [12]In 2004, however, MFA conducted another covert investigation on the same farm (now named Ohio Fresh Eggs). [13] [14]
Bettencourt Dairy Farm
In February 2014, the Idaho governor signed a law making it illegal to secretly film on agricultural farms after a complaint stemming from a secret video recorded by an MFA employee from 2012. Idaho Dairymen’s Association president Bob Naerebout claimed MFA unfairly tried to persuade customers of Bettencourt dairy farm to stop buying their products, even after the farm fired the guilty employees and cooperated with law enforcement on prosecution. [15]
Dairy Farmers of America
In May 2015, MFA was accused of releasing “contrived” video footage of animal cruelty after covertly entering a farm of a Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) member. The DFA criticized MFA for using the footage to condemn the farm where the incident occurred instead of reporting the individuals involved to local law enforcement. [16]
Controversies
Former Mercy For Animals executive vice president Nick Cooney was accused of harassment, sexism, and bullying by two employees in 2015 and 2016. [17] Cooney, who denies the allegations,[18] left Mercy for Animals in late 2017. Both critics[19] and supporters[20] of the animal liberation movement took note of the allegations, which emerged amid investigations into allegations against other prominent animal liberation activists, most prominently then-Humane Society of the United States CEO Wayne Pacelle. [21] Cooney had been previously convicted of offenses in 2006 related to demonstrations against a pharmaceutical company. [22]
Funding and Contributions
February 2016, Open Philanthropy Project donated $1,000,000 to MFA for advocating for government regulations on farmers, specifically related to so called “cage-free” standards. [23] Other major contributors to MFA include Silicon Valley Community Foundation, RSF Social Finance, and the Tides Foundation. [24]
MFA made a $500,000 grant to Global Animal Partnership. [25]