Oklahoma lifts 50-year-old ban on horse slaughter for meat

Apr 01, 2013

Oklahoma governor signs bill to allow horses to be slaughtered for meat in the state

Despite opposition by animal activists, Oklahoma’s Gov. Mary Fallin signed a bill on Friday that will allow facilities to process and export horse meat.

The move marks a 50-year-old ban on horse slaughter in Oklahoma. Instead of shipping horses destined for slaughter out of the country to places like Mexico and Canada, which is often argued to be a humane alternative for aging or starving horses, facilities will now be allowed to operate within the state.

The legislation received bipartisan support in both the state House and Senate and was backed by agricultural groups including the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association and American Farmers.

Opponents to the bill including the Humane Society of the United States were disappointed that the bill passed. The group also notes that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has recently received an application for horse slaughter inspection permits from a meat processing company in Washington, Oklahoma.

The new law is set to take effect Nov. 1, 2013.

Video: How farmers are protecting the soil and our food security | DW Documentary

For a long time, soil was all but ignored. But for years, the valuable humus layer has been thinning. Farmers in Brandenburg are clearly feeling the effects of this on their sandy fields. Many are now taking steps to prepare their farms for the future.

Years of drought, record rainfall and failed harvests: we are becoming increasingly aware of how sensitively our environment reacts to extreme weather conditions. Farmers' livelihoods are at stake. So is the ability of consumers to afford food.

For a few years now, agriculture that focuses solely on maximum yields has been regarded with increasing skepticism. It is becoming more and more clear just how dependent we are on healthy soils.

Brandenburg is the federal state with the worst soil quality in Germany. The already thin, fertile humus layer has been shrinking for decades. Researchers and farmers who are keen to experiment are combating these developments and looking for solutions. Priority is being given to building up the humus layer, which consists of microorganisms and fungi, as well as springtails, small worms and centipedes.

For Lena and Philipp Adler, two young vegetable farmers, the tiny soil creatures are invaluable helpers. On their three-hectare organic farm, they rely on simple, mechanical weed control, fallow areas where the soil can recover, and diversity. Conventional farmer Mark Dümichen also does everything he can to protect soil life on his land. For years, he has not tilled the soil after the harvest and sows directly into the field. His yields have stabilized since he began to work this way.

Isabella Krause from Regionalwert AG Berlin-Brandenburg is convinced after the experiences of the last hot summers that new crops will thrive on Brandenburg's fields in the long term. She has founded a network of farmers who are promoting the cultivation of chickpeas with support from the scientific community.