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Ohio Voters Approve Formation of Livestock Board

November 4, 2009 — 

By a vote of 64% to 36%, voters in Ohio approved a bi-partisan legislative effort to amend the state's constitution to establish a Livestock Care Standards Board to rule on issues associated with livestock care in the state.

The purpose of the Board is to establish standards governing the care and well-being of livestock and poultry while maintaining food safety, encouraging locally grown and raised food, and protecting Ohio farms and families. The Board will be charged with making decisions rooted in fact, science and data.

The Board will set standards for livestock and poultry care that take into account issues of:

  • Best farm management practices for animal well-being,
  • Animal morbidity (incidence of ill health) and mortality (incidence of death) data,
  • Food safety, and
  • Local availability and affordability of food.

Board members will consider these issues in the context of how they impact:

  • Overall animal health,
  • Biosecurity on livestock farms,
  • Animal disease prevention, and
  • Food safety and food production volume and price.

The Board will be made up of 13 Ohioans. These individuals will apply their broad expertise in making decisions affecting Ohio animal agriculture. The director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture will serve as chair of the Board. Ten members will be appointed to the Board by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. These 10 members shall be Ohio residents and shall include the following:

  • A family farmer,
  • A veterinarian who is licensed in the state,
  • The state veterinarian at the Ohio Department of Agriculture,
  • A food safety expert,
  • A representative of a county humane society that is organized under state law,
  • Two members from statewide farm organizations,
  • The dean of an Ohio agriculture college or university, and
Two members of the public representing Ohio consumers. In addition, one family farmer will be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and one family farmer will be appointed by the President of the Senate to serve on the Board.

Additional details regarding the formation and function of the Board are available online at http://www.safelocalohiofood.org//rubberdoc/Issue%202%20Fact%20Book.pdf