Thank you for Ruth Neil’s excellent Sept. 9 article, “Organization aims to stop teaching of animal agriculture at universities,” on Responsible Policies for Animals’ “10,000 Years Is Enough” campaign to end universities’ teaching of animal agriculture. Please allow me to clarify a couple of points apparently misunderstood by two people who have responded to the campaign — one quoted in the article, and another replying after publication.

Traditionally, the academy makes a crucial distinction between teaching business as a profession and teaching production of specific products such as pork, cow’s milk, chicken eggs, chewing gum, liquor or house paint — the last three having as much claim as animal products to involving science. “Science” means knowledge; “technology” refers to production methods. College degrees usually reflect knowledge acquired, not product-making abilities. Training in specific products is almost always left to companies that make them. Agriculture is a rare exception because Congress saw a unique need when it passed the Morrill Act of 1862 establishing land-grant universities.

Although a case might be made that horticulture and agronomy should also be eliminated from the academy, plants do not suffer and are necessary to humanity. Animals, whose flesh, eggs and milk are not needed in the human diet have been made to suffer intensely through the years for longer periods and in larger numbers in the egg, dairy and meat industries — partly due to the efforts of “animal science” to increase their productivity and efficiency.

About RPA being misguided in seeking to address this problem in Iowa, an agricultural center and a state that raises and kills millions of pigs each year: Although we are also working hard in other states, Iowa has a great tradition of open discussion, including in agricultural matters.

RPA appreciates participation in this discussion by those who express support for and opposition to our “10,000 Years Is Enough” campaign. Animal agriculture has been going on for about 10,000 years — we don’t expect it to end overnight. But we’ve got to start somewhere, and as the saying goes, a problem defined is a problem half solved.

David Cantor

Executive Director

Responsible Policies for Animals, Inc.