Re: Why are organic eggs/meat unethical?
Ditto response below.
Quote:
Zero
It really comes down to this concept of "Happy Meat" that a lot of companies are pushing, where they have simply divised a niche for those people don't want to go vegetarian and feel ok about eating animal products as long as the animal was treated well before slaughter.
To me, it makes no difference ethically, it is still needless slaughter and as long as animals are kept and raised by us for food they are still being expolited in some way, even if this exploitation is to a lesser extent I still don't feel it is justified.
Some of the manufacturers of these "Happy Meat" products, believe they are "meeting vegans half way", I don't think they are personally, however Peta often seem to be supporting the concept, another example of where I don't agree with them.
I guess if this is the first step toward relieving animal cruelty then it's a good first step, although a very small one.
In should be noted however that the only way organic free range meat production is sustainable across the board is if mass amounts of people stop eating meat, the reason that modern agriculture is profitable is because of the horrific processes involved with factory farming because it can be done quickly.
Free range farming cannot be carried out on the same scale as factory farming is performed now, it would not be able to cope with present demand and would be unprofitable unless prices were greatly increased.
The ethical choice is clear, end human imposed animal suffering.
Re: Why are organic eggs / meat unethical?
^ I agree. I may have a dilema soon in that my boss is considering stocking free-range/organic meat in the shop where I work (a health food shop which has always been meat-free). I'm really not sure that I can handle it. If an animal must be kept for 'food' purposes then yes it's better the animal is reared free-range and well looked after, but the point is that we know that animals don't have to be used like this atall as there is no need for them to figure in the modern human food chain.
Re: Why are organic eggs / meat unethical?
Viva! managed to get their pictures of male chicks being disposed of into today's Independent as part of an article about poultry welfare standards. I think that's an important achievement as a lot of people don't think about this side-effect of their egg eating (which unfortunately applies to even the more "humane" forms of egg production if they are to be economically viable). A lot of people will be more shocked by it than by the stuff about stocking densities etc although that's bad enough.
Warning: upsetting material and images http://www.independent.co.uk/life-st...n-2124580.html
Re: Why are organic eggs / meat unethical?
Re: Why are organic eggs / meat unethical?
One reason to oppose organic/'happy'/whatever meat ...
In the muddied waters of the meat eaters mind so long as just one 'humanely' produced chicken fillet/rump steak/sausage has ever existed then every chicken fillet/rump steak/sausage that THEY ever eat is that particular chicken fillet/rump steak/sausage.
In every meat eaters mind it is always the OTHER muddy-b'stard who eats the unnaceptably produced stuff. Like the bloke at the table next to them in the local Kentucky Fried Cruelty may be eating a chook that suffered awfully but the chicken in their own bargain bucket had a wonderfull life (university education, fullfilling career, house with a pool, nice car, travelled widely .. etc) and then sacrificed itself, in a final act of gratitude, to repay humanity for our kindness to it.
Point being that, in a world full of idiots, you give ground that there is any acceptable way of producing meat and all meat THEY will ever eat could not possibly have been produced any other way.
It's kinda like for as long as the illusion is maintained that any animal has lived and died in happy-farm-heaven then NO animal will ever be acknowledged as having lived and died in hell.
Re: Why are organic eggs / meat unethical?
What "proves" meat-eaters that the corpse they're eating is the one of an animal that lived a 'happy' life is beyond me. They know nothing about what happened to the animal. And it's highly unlikely that it was 'happy'. :(
Re: Vegans and eggs: here's the short, one-paragraph version!
If there is a supply and demand of ANYTHING, as humans, greed sets in and we do all we can possible to exploit it to the max. Chickens are stuffed in a cage and don't leave their whole lives...there are thousands in a warehouse with no windows so you can't see this in action...you can't see the birds laying in their own shit with cuts and bruises and broken bones TRYING to get out. Some are put with other hens so at some point their beaks were burned off with no form anesthesia so they won't peck at each other. If you ask for organic, and if enough people demand it, someone will supply it. I can't make anyone change their lifestyle... but geeze would it hurt you to get something "better" and go to a local farmers market?