Agriculture committee  Do you mean our organization specifically?

Agriculture committee  Yes, absolutely. For example, just this month, when McDonald's made its announcement, the Humane Society of the United States released a joint press release with McDonald's, welcoming the decision and praising it. Definitely, I would say—

Agriculture committee  The situation with McDonald's is they have said they will mandate this to everyone who is supplying them in the supply chain for pork, and they have given them until May to come back with a phase-in plan of how they're going to make those changes. Yes, as you say, with McDonald's those producers have that client.

Agriculture committee  Yes, exactly. One of the problems sometimes cited with regard to free-run systems is that the welfare isn't necessarily perfect for an egg-laying hen raised in a free-run system. The fact of the matter is that welfare for a hen raised in a free-run system is better than that for a hen raised in a caged system.

Agriculture committee  Are you talking about egg production or meat production?

Agriculture committee  All chickens raised for meat are raised cage-free. All broilers are raised in a barn environment. With regard to egg production, when you say that free-run environment presents challenges as well, of course it does. Every production system presents welfare challenges, but the inherent thing is that when you put an animal in a cage, the challenge is that the welfare problems that environment raises just cannot be solved in that environment, because they're inherent to a cage environment, as opposed to welfare issues in a free-range environment or a free-run environment, which can be handled by good management.

Agriculture committee  Are you referring to food safety?

Agriculture committee  In fact, many studies show that animals that are well treated, and have a certain level of well-being, produce a safer and better quality product.

Agriculture committee  That is a good question. I know for instance that in 2010, in the U.S., there was a salmonella epidemic in eggs. Further to the incident, the media focused a lot on the fact that it must have occurred because the chickens were raised in cages. In fact, we know that there is a far higher risk of illness among chickens that are cage bred.

Agriculture committee  Yes. We know that consumers are quite worried about food safety. Obviously, when they are informed of the fact that the animals are well treated and are less likely to carry diseases, there is an impact.

Agriculture committee  You can look at examples around the world. There are different models that have been used, in the European Union, for example.

Agriculture committee  As I was saying, it depends, and I think an investment from Growing Forward 2 in transitional funds would definitely be a viable option. Obviously battery cages are now outlawed in all 27 states of the European Union, and that directive was passed in 1999. That gave producers more than 12 years to make that transition.

Agriculture committee  Well, if all egg production systems were to transition to cage-free housing, then there would probably be a slight increase in the cost of eggs, which would go directly to the producers.

Agriculture committee  I think if the federal government were to legislate a phase-out date for cage-free eggs, then transitional funds would be something that should be looked into.

Agriculture committee  There are different systems that exist for cage-free housing—