The reason against Amendment 1

Dale Steffens distorts The Humane Society of the United States' record and mission ("Opinion: The truth about Right to Farm Amendment," April 22). In 2013, we provided direct care to more than 118,000 animals through rescues, spay and neuter clinics, rural veterinary services and more.

As to agriculture, The HSUS stands with and supports those family farmers who are good stewards of the land and their animals. We do not support farming practices that undermine the foundation of our rural communities, devastate the environment and inflict cruelty on animals -- practices historically found in industrialized agriculture.

Renowned agriculture economist John Ikerd, Ph.D, stated the industrialized agriculture model is broken and cannot be fixed. He compared factory farms to prisons. Today, more than nine of 10 egg cartons sold in the United States come from caged laying hens living in a space smaller than a sheet of paper. Similarly, most of the breeding pigs in the pork industry are confined to crates so small they can't even turn around for nearly their entire lives.

This will only get worse with factory farms in Missouri coming under the ownership of foreign corporations who have a track record of harming the environment and inflicting cruelty on animals. Amendment 1 will make it impossible for the people, or the legislature, to regulate these companies.

Our constitution was written to protect our values -- not foreign corporations. That is why consumers and family farmers are joining together to vote no on Amendment 1.

JOE MAXWELL, vice president of outreach and engagement, The Humane Society of the United States, Mexico, Mo.