NYT Contributor Proposes Webcams in Factory Farms

In a recent op-ed piece, The New York Times contributor Jedediah Purdy offered an interesting suggestion that could settle the ag-gag legislature debate. Purdy notes that advocates of the anti-whistle blower bills protest the undercover footage because it has the potential to skew the public’s opinion, and encourages trespassing when undercover investigators pose as employees. His answer is to install webcams in factory farms and provide the URLs on the meat’s labels to increase transparency—this would raise consumer awareness without the deception, and would favor a democratic approach by encouraging public discourse. “Emotional response is part of moral reasoning, and in this case we need more information, not less,” writes Purdy.