Eggs from happy chickens are the goal.
After Prop. 2 passed, banning battery-cage egg production in the state, UC-Santa Cruz senior Eric Deardorff and his group Banana Slugs for Animals approached dining services about making it campus-wide policy to serve only cage-free eggs. As of this fall, it appeared that talks with Director of Dining Services Scott Berlin were going extremely well.
“Back in early October, he told us, ‘Hey, I have great news, we’re going to make the switch to all cage-free liquid eggs.’ That’s about 90 percent of egg use on campus,” says Deardorff. “We said, ‘That’s fantastic.’”
The new egg policy was supposed to go into effect sometime in early January, but the weeks began to pass with no announcement from the university. Then about two weeks ago, Deardorff says he learned second-hand that the deal had been scrapped. “We said, ‘OK, we’re going to finally bring this issue to the campus community,” he says. “We want to get the issue out there because of these broken promises.”
So two weeks ago he launched http://www.CageFreeUCSC.com to collect signatures on a petition urging UCSC dining to follow through with its cage-free plan, and says future campus leafleting and action is in the works. “We want to show Dining Services that this is something there is demand for. Most people don’t know that [UC] Santa Cruz hasn’t made this change,” he says.
Director Berlin confirms that changes were set to go into effect in January, but he says an “across the board” 40 percent jump in cage-free egg prices quickly sunk the plan. “The vendor was saying historically they tend to go up in December, January,” Berlin says. He estimates it would cost Dining Services an additional $70,000 a year for cage-free eggs. “We’re a national leader in sustainability, and I’d love to do everything. But a number of people have been laid off this year. How to I justify adding $70,000 in cost when that could be one or two people’s jobs? Do I value chicken more than people? That’s the reality of it.”
Berlin says UCSC is now in the early stages of drafting a UC-systemwide bid for cage-free eggs in order to secure lower prices. “It’s certainly something we want to do. It’s just not something I can pull the trigger on now,” he says.
Meanwhile, Deardorff says he’s already collected over 1,000 signatures from staff, student and faculty on campus. “There’s budget concern through the UC system, but other schools are making these changes,” he says. “It’s time UC Santa Cruz does too.”
Comments (9)
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Michelle Sun, Jan 31, 2010 - 5:20 am
Congrats to the UCSC students who are working to move the university from supporting animal cruelty that the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act made illegal in its home state. And shame on UCSC for supporting unsustainable, unhealthy, and inhumane egg factory farms.
I would think UCSC would be proud to have students who work on sustainability issues—not back down on promises they make to them.
UCSC should be a responsible member of the Santa Cruz community. With this issue, you’re certainly not.
Radha Vignola Sun, Jan 31, 2010 - 8:54 am
Please have compassion for the great suffering of battery caged chickens. Please stop supporting the cruel torture of these animals.
Thank you, Radha Vignola
Lesley Sun, Jan 31, 2010 - 7:25 pm
Battery cage confinement of laying hens is horribly inhumane. Cage-free egg production is a significant step in the right direction. At least the birds can walk, spread their wings, and lay their eggs in nests. The school should take this modest step and stop using battery eggs, especially since Californians voted overwhelmingly to ban cages for laying hens.
Liz Mon, Feb 01, 2010 - 11:34 am
With all the other UC schools switching from battery cage- to cage-free eggs, it simply doesn’t make any sense that UCSC is backing down on its promises. Here’s hoping that dining services lives up to its commitment!
Dani Mon, Feb 01, 2010 - 11:44 am
I seriously can’t believe that UCSC is dragging their feet when it comes to switching to cage-free eggs! For such a progressive school in such a progressive city, this really is appaling. Come on, UCSC, do the right thing! Keeping hens in tiny cages where they can barely move is inhumane and is not something your school should be supporting. Kudos to the students that are working hard on this issue!
Eric Deardorff Tue, Feb 02, 2010 - 12:00 am
Yes, it’s simply cruel. It’s time for UCSC to catch up to other schools and get out of the dark ages.
UC-Berkeley, UC-San Diego, UC-Davis have adopted cage free eggs and just this past week UC-Santa Barbara made the switch.
The budget is certainly a concern but other schools in the UC system are certainly making it work, even with the current economic situation.
You can’t put a price tag on cruelty.
Nick Wed, Feb 03, 2010 - 11:19 am
Nice article, and good job students! Dining Services’ claim that going cage-free might mean 1 or 2 workers have to be laid off is completely disingenuous. The cost increase would be paid for by students (it would only cost about $3 more per month for students with meal plans), not through cuts elsewhere in the budget.
Many other UC schools (Berkeley, San Diego, etc.) have gone cage-free - for UCSC’s Dining Services to go back on their promise shows they are not being responsible or responsive to students, and are grasping for excuses to justify their behavior.
UCSC, please go cage-free!
Robyn Cooper Sat, Feb 13, 2010 - 2:36 am
So, saving a few cents is your the excuse for failing to keep your word, Mr Berlin?
It’s a dinky cost and you know it.
But the cost to a battery hen is a life of pain and suffering.
Keep your word.
You should be ashamed.
Ike Solem Tue, Feb 16, 2010 - 9:39 am
The UC is spending millions on their new QB3 corporate biomedical research center - a diversion of taxpayer dollars and student tuition to a program aimed solely at generating lucrative patents for their corporate partners.
UC Santa Cruz Food Services ended its contract with Sodexho four years ago and brought employees in-house - and this saved money, didn’t it?
Regardless, the students and staff get screwed over, the administrators get raises, the corporate partners get juicy patents - all at the expense of the students and taxpayers.
It’s high time for a state-wide shakeup of the UC system - they’ve forgotten that their primary role is supposed to be as a research and educational institute - not as a source of patents & propaganda for the benefit of their corporate partners.