How is it that we are able to breed, feed & kill over 80 billion land animals every single year but we are unable to feed just 8 billion human beings?
Most of us don’t know what happens for us to get the meat, dairy & eggs on our plates. Most of us don’t know that all female animals of every species that humans use for food, entertainment, clothing among others are subject to sexual exploitation – the industry uses the term ‘artificial insemination‘ to make it sound normal. Most of us don’t know that in the dairy & egg industry, males are usually killed soon after birth. Most of us don’t know that the female cows are made pregnant for over 4 to 5 times before their milk production stops by which time they are sent to slaughter. Most of us don’t know that broiler chickens are only 6 to 8 weeks old, lambs 4 months old, pigs 6 months old, egg laying hens only 18 months old, cows 1 to 3 years by the time they are killed when they can live anywhere from 7 to 10 years for chickens, up to 15 years for pigs and up to 25 years for cows.
Did you know that over 80% of pigs in the UK are put in gas chambers in slaughterhouses? Or that male chicks in the egg industry are blended alive soon after they are born?
Most people agree that factory farming is bad but they can’t seem to wrap their head around the ethics of not eating animals. There are a lot of reasons and justifications used by people to continue eating animals or animal by-products – ranging from culture, society, history, health, food chain, circle of life, religion, crop deaths, equate plants to animals & even appeal to futility.
What about humane slaughter?
One of the justifications that come up often when we talk about the ethics of eating animals is that if the animal has a happy life and a quick and painless death then, it is okay. The industry uses the term humane slaughter to make it sound normal. But the word humane in the dictionary means benevolent or showing kindness, care and sympathy towards others, especially those who are suffering. So in essence, humane slaughter in itself is an oxymoron. But even if we persist with this notion, the ideology falls apart if we try to equate this to animals we consider family. Would we do that to a dog? Or a cat? If indeed the animal has had a happy life (albeit very short), isn’t it even more inhumane to take the life of someone who is enjoying it? And more importantly,
How can we humanely kill someone who does not want to die?
At the end of the day, we all agree that pain & suffering is wrong. One of the important concepts of ethics is sentience which is the ability to experience feelings and sensations. The ability to experience happiness or suffering often forms a basis for determining which entities deserve moral consideration. And it becomes quite clear that the animals are not willing participants in this ‘co-dependent’ society. That brings us to the dreaded V word.
It is impossible to talk about the ethics of eating animals without mentioning Veganism. To put it simply, Veganism is an ethical principle which rejects the commodification of animals for whatever purpose.
Why Vegan?
The question is not why, but why not? And the answer is pretty simple. In an era where an abundance of peer-reviewed scientific research consistently demonstrates that we can thrive on a plant-based diet while protecting animals and the planet, the question arises: why shouldn’t we?
The trend history of not eating animals
The ethics of eating animals is not a contemporary phenomenon. While there are varying accounts of when it all began, there are established records of Jain philosophy which rejects the violence that is inherently part of eating animals dating 8BCE. Soon thereafter, Greek philosophers in 6BCE also note the same. Buddhism around the same time grew with the same core fundamental that eventually became part of Hinduism in the form of the Sanskrit word ‘Ahimsa’ which means non-violence. The modern term ‘Vegan’ was coined in the UK back in 1944 by some members of the Vegetarian Society who stopped consuming milk, honey & eggs for ethical reasons.
Resources we love:
- Oxford Union debate on whether ‘The House would go Vegan’
- Phillip Wollen: Animals should be off the menu debate
- Food for profit – Feature documentary that shows the link between the meat industry, the lobby and the political power. The movie was first screened at European Parliament.
- Christspiracy – A film that delves into the religious ethics of eating animals
- Gary Yourofsky – The Most Important Speech You Will Ever Hear