kfc canada taking small steps...

[tipsy]

a copy of the email peta just sent me.

"I have great news! Thanks to the help of PETA's more than 2 million members and supporters, we've just scored a major victory for chickens killed by fast-food chain KFC.

Following more than five years of intense campaigning, numerous undercover investigations, and over 12,000 demonstrations against KFC around the world, I'm happy to announce that KFC Canada will be making sweeping changes to the ways it raises and kills chickens slaughtered for its restaurants.

KFC Canada agreed to this historic new animal welfare plan following seven months of closed-door negotiations with PETA. With today's announcement, the company plans to do the following:

Phase in purchases of 100 percent of its chickens from suppliers that use controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK)—the least cruel form of poultry slaughter ever developed. KFC Canada is the first major restaurant chain to commit to phasing in the exclusive purchasing of chicken meat from CAK slaughterhouses.

Make a vegan faux-chicken item available at the majority of KFC restaurants in Canada.

Improve its animal welfare criteria to reduce the number of broken bones and other injuries suffered by birds.

Urge its suppliers to adopt better practices, including improved lighting, lower stocking density and ammonia levels, and a phaseout of growth-promoting drugs and breeding practices that painfully cripple chickens.

Form an animal welfare advisory panel to monitor the changes and recommend further advancements."

wow! too bad its not worldwide!

[Huddy]

Fingers crossed it does become worldwide. But an even better thing would be KFC not existing!

(just thought Id edit to make myself clear-Im saying the fake meat would be good to go worldwide. the slaughter part still sucks!)

[emzy1985]

Hey Roxy was that you? HEHEHE!

Firstly if they do do this vegan chicken who here would eat it?

Secondly what is controlled atmosphere killing? Like suffocation or something? Sounds um very um humane!

[Kula]

You'll forgive me if I don't jump for joy at this.

[harpy]

Fingers crossed it does become worldwide. But an even better thing would be KFC not existing!

How about an all-vegan KFC, that might be OK?

ISTR that their sort of chicken doesn't taste of anything much anyway so probably no-one would notice if they substituted 'vegan faux-chicken' for all of it...

[Fungus]

It's odd how people go on about animals being raised in a 'humane' way .. they're not humans !!
IMHO there's no way meat production can be truly cruelty-free ..

[flying plum]

i think the greater irony is we describe living conditions for animals as 'humane' that would have most people locked up should they treat a human like that...

that aside, good to see they're making progress.

amanda

[Prawnil]

I would suppose that's a tank that pumps up the CO2 until everything in it dies. If it's by any other gas I'd wonder what it does to the flesh... Or even CO2 for that matter. Though they're arguable positive, these kind of changes always make me uncomfortable.
..lulling...

[Darky_]

I also got this exact email and I thought it was slightly annying they thought it was great news, i mean, also thought, KFC shouldn't exist.... ugh and knowing PETA they will start giving them certificates!!
I would be a nervous wreck if someone came up to me or dragged me into a slaughter house to be stun gunned or electricuted no matter how quick it is. It ALL hurts to get it. Still sucks. KFC suck. McDonalds suck. You all suck!......well not the last one, yet, ha dee ha!!

But then again, these companies are just too big and theres too much of a high demand for the crap, that I guess its not as easy to just elimate every take away like that....So I think its a good start. Just damn the certificates though!!

[Darky_]

.....No maybe its a BAD start! If people think 'humane meat', the demand will grow and no one will ever want to shut em down and end the Take-aways!!

[Kevster]

This really is complete nonsense, for a posturing animal rights group to consider this great news is utterly ridiculous.

I don't quite know who they think they are? Apart from a bunch of profiteering welfarists and sell outs. Whilst local groups exist on next to no money Peta flaunts it alongside their fake ideals.

Personally, and i know how popular peta are with some people, this deserves condemnation.

The following piece written by Gary Francione is well worth reading. The true successes that Peta have achieved are almost non existent. They've helped some people go vegetarian, mainly through their supporters helping to raise awareness. Local groups also perform this function perfectly well without the support of peta. Waiting in the wings to collect the membership $$$.

http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/?p=144

[emzy1985]

Good article Kevster.

"But as long as the major so-called “animal rights” groups are telling them that they can satisfy their moral obligations by eating at KFC and other similar places (remember that PETA has had similar “deals” with McDonald’s and Burger King), the status quo will persist and the only progress that we will see is the increase in PETA’s bank accounts."

I think I'm an abolitionist!

[Mahk]

Hopefully some day the entire world will turn vegan but in this transitional time which may last for years, decades, or centuries, is it wrong to try to minimize the amount and kind of suffering that currently happens to billions of farm animals every single day? I don't think so.

I don't like many things about Peta but to say that they have accomplished little or nothing isn't true IMO. I bet a huge percentage of veg*ns in the world would attribute their decision to stop eating meat was based (at least partly) on media, photos, and undercover videos that they were exposed to thanks to the work of Peta.

Here are other accomplishments they are responsible for. Does anyone know of a pro-animal organization which has a similar list that's even a tenth as long?

[emzy1985]

I know what you are saying but I still don't think sleeping with the enemy, so to speak is the answer.

[harpy]

I agree with Mahk that it's worth improving conditions for farmed animals as long as people still eat meat. I wonder though whether it isn't better if an organisation specialises in either promoting animal 'welfare' or promoting veg*nism? For a single organisation to promote both, as Peta seems to do, seems to dilute the pro-veg*n message a bit.

[emzy1985]

For a single organisation to promote both, as Peta seems to do, seems to dilute the pro-veg*n message a bit.

My thoughts exactly!

[bryzee86]

I think I'm an abolitionist! [/COLOR]

Me too. Well, I know I'm an abolitionist!

It's still dead, innit.

[Mahk]

For a single organisation to promote both, as Peta seems to do, seems to dilute the pro-veg*n message a bit.

Yes, true. But just like with many of us, turning vegan overnight is rare. Usually there is an intermediate stage of vegetarianism and increased animal welfare consciousness. I think Peta is pushing the world toward the first stage with veganism as the long term final goal. I think.

[Kevster]

One of the problems with Peta is the inconsistent approach. They seem to try and spread themselves far and wide to get the greatest catchment of people. But then send confusing mixed messages.

One moment, it's 'ok' to eat at KFC' next moment it's not.

One moment they'll condemn Selfridges for selling foie gras, then halt protests when Selfridges say they'll sell an ethical version ALONGSIDE the really cruel one.

I'm sure lots has been written by people on Peta but i am not one of their fans. For sure some of their investigative work is quite good, but it's not $30m well spent. They should be far more effective.

[Zero]

PETA, helping meat eaters feel better about their unethical food choices. This is simply a step in the "New Wellfarist" direction, PETA are very misguided.

How can they refer to this as a victory? Are billions of chickens still dying? Yes. They are now dying in way that is "nicer", great, but I struggle to see how this is achieving anything, if anything it will encourage people to eat MORE chickens.

The industry will always be able to adapt to regulation and if anything it will capitalize upon it and bring new customers in.

Up side chickens won't suffer as much, down side more chickens will probably die now.

[Zero]

Yes, true. But just like with many of us, turning vegan overnight is rare. Usually there is an intermediate stage of vegetarianism and increased animal welfare consciousness. I think Peta is pushing the world toward the first stage with veganism as the long term final goal. I think.

Mahk,

Appreciate what you are trying to say however, the means should match the ends.

Getting people to feel good about eating chicken and justifying the use of animals as property is not on a course for vegan ends.

If all these groups did vegan outreach and helped veganism become more recognized and mainstream instead of focusing on "winnable" wellfarist campaigns that promote "nicer" animal exploitation the approach would be much more effective.

[emzy1985]

If all these groups did vegan outreach and helped veganism become more recognized and mainstream instead of focusing on "winnable" wellfarist campaigns that promote "nicer" animal exploitation the approach would be much more effective.

My thoughts exactly!

[Mahk]

Zero, in the passage you quoted me on above I didn't say I approved of them, their views, or effectiveness, I was just commenting on what I believe to be their thought process. (just to make that clear)

[Zero]

Zero, in the passage you quoted me on above I didn't say I approved of them, their views, or effectiveness, I was just commenting on what I believe to be their thought process. (just to make that clear)

I didn't say you approved of their methods either, I just stated I see what you are saying

[Zero]

Gary Francione's new blog makes for interesting reading. The poulty industry and KFC both stand to make a substantial additional profit from making the changes PETA have been promoting. Such a myopic view they have taken.

www.abolitionistapproach.com/?p=144

[emzy1985]

Gary Francione's new blog makes for interesting reading. The poulty industry and KFC both stand to make a substantial additional profit from making the changes PETA have been promoting. Such a myopic view they have taken.

www.abolitionistapproach.com/?p=144

What a suprise!

[erfoud]

I can almost picture happy chickens by the hand hands in a single line towards their gentle death .
They may fool the standard consumers and keep their minds at peace, but they´re unlikely to take us in
The best KFC is the dead one!

[Mahk]

The best KFC is the dead one!

Is there something that makes KFC different, or do you really mean all omni restaurants/ food stores should be dead?

[Fungus]

Anyone else ever notice this about PeTA .. the 'e' (as in ethical) is in lower case ..
.. now if they really cared about ethics for animals .. it'd be pEtA

[bryzee86]

Is there something that makes KFC different, or do you really mean all omni restaurants/ food stores should be dead?

dunno about erfoud, but I totally do.

Abolition ftw.

[tipsy]

i am an abolitionist as well. i think that a more humane slaughter is just that... still slaughter.

i posted this because i thought it was rather curious that it was just kfc canada.

and i thought some people may be please by this news. because i know there are quite a few out that that have been to kfc protests (in canada, too!) :smile:

[Mahk]

Here's an analogy for everyone to pick apart:
Say your sister was on death row, falsely accused of a crime she did not commit, soon to be executed, and with no possibility of appeal. Would you not care if her form of execution was slow and painful as opposed to quick and painless?

sister = chicken

[tipsy]

prisoners on death row are not killed slowly and painfully. its just not something that is allowed these days.

[Mahk]

You're thinking in America, I believe. Stoning and other brutal, slow, and painful forms of capital punishment still exist in other countries of the world to this day.

[tipsy]

i know youre right about that, i was just being difficult.

im not much of a fan of hypotheticals...

i would actually prefer if my chicken-sister didnt have to die at all.

[Mahk]

i know youre right about that, i was just being difficult.

No worries. It reminded me of that Star Trek II movie where Kirk is put into an impossible to win test scenario by a computer and his solution is to reprogram the computer! "Kobayashi Maru" they called it.

i would actually prefer if my chicken-sister didnt have to die at all.

Me too, but its a grim reality she will. I don't like that the world has wars, either, but that doesn't mean I don't support efforts to protect basic rights of POW's and have everyone follow guidelines like the Geneva conventions (not that I really know what they are exactly! )

[Zero]

I think some of us have said its good that these chickens wont suffer as much, but calling this a "major victory" is absurd, it's PETA's approach to it that sucks, one minute they vilify KFC the next they are handing them certificates and saying "well done".

This welfarist approach pushes the "happy meat" factor.

I wrote a little blog on it:
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...88AAD116242930

[emzy1985]

i would actually prefer if my chicken-sister didnt have to die at all.

That's the words of a true abolitionist there!

[Ames]

better I guess, yeah. meh . . . personally I'm not too amazed by this nor do I think it's all that great. Although I'm not denying it has SOME positivies. Just seems too little and just because it's PC nowadays. Know what I mean??

[erfoud]

Is there something that makes KFC different, or do you really mean all omni restaurants/ food stores should be dead?

Well, the thread was about KFC so I referred to them. It goes without saying I extend my shutdown wish to them all

[Mahk]

^ But then wont all your omni friends and relatives starve to death? That would be a form of killing animals , no? (just teasing)

All joking aside my real point to everyone is why has KFC been singled out, I don't get it? Do these same protesters go to protest Burger King, Taco Bell, McDonald's, and the little independent omni grocer on the corner near their parents' house, on other days of the week? Protesting omni restaurants and omni grocers doesn't make a lot of sense to me, personally.

[Zero]

^ But then wont all your omni friends and relatives starve to death? That would be a form of killing animals , no? (just teasing)

All joking aside my real point to everyone is why has KFC been singled out, I don't get it? Do these same protesters go to protest Burger King, Taco Bell, McDonald's, and the little independent omni grocer on the corner near their parents' house, on other days of the week? Protesting omni restaurants and omni grocers doesn't make a lot of sense to me, personally.

This is a good point of course, I have have asked similar questions about several other campaigns, why not demo at the slaughter houses doing the actual killing too?

The reason groups participate in these campaigns is because they are "winnable", however they just tend to displace animal cruelty or like in this case help with industry reform and help create a so called "ethical" product because there is demand for it.

If there was no call for (so called) "more ethical" chicken burgers and KFC likely would not have bothered to research this.

As a movement our main cause should be Promote Veganism! To help reduce the demand, mass veganism won't happen overnight but that doesn't mean people shouldn't take part in it.