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Animal rights groups are rallying against concentrated animal feeding operations in Utah and across the country during National Animal Justice Week.

The large operations are corporate-operated farms critics said often confine or abuse animals in search of efficiency and profits. Utah has made incremental progress on farm animal welfare by phasing out traditional battery cages for laying hens in 2021.

Kathleen Wood, senior staff attorney for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, said on many large farms, cruelty is the norm, not the exception.

"They're often forced into unnatural, overcrowded environments or intense confinement, without the opportunity to live comfortably and express normal behaviors," Wood explained. "They're also subject to a large array of mutilations."

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In 2021, Utah enacted legislation requiring cage-free housing for egg-laying hens but other problems remain. Wood pointed out Justice for Animals Week, which runs through Feb. 28, aims to draw attention to what they see as cruelty and systemic harm tied to industrial agriculture. Many operators deny their practices are cruel, saying they promote efficiency and help feed a growing global population.

Woods noted another reason her group is calling attention to industrial farms is many states side with producers. They may try to shield abusive practices and prevent companies from being held accountable with what are known as "ag-gag" laws.

"Ag-gag laws are anti-whistleblower laws," Wood outlined. "These laws essentially prohibit whistleblowers from coming forward and reporting cruel or illegal practices that they observe in agricultural facilities."

Utah passed an ag-gag law in 2012, which criminalized undercover filming or recording of agricultural operations to expose animal abuse. But after the Animal Legal Defense Fund brought legal action, it was ruled unconstitutional in 2017.

Wood added there is an education component to National Animal Justice Week. She aims to inform the public, sponsors and individuals alike about problems with factory farming and how to take action.

"We celebrate stakeholders who have gone above and beyond to combat cruelty in their communities," Wood emphasized. "Then we provide resources for law students who want to get more involved in animal law."