As this newsletter has grown, I’ve started to reach new audiences, ones who don’t already buy into the importance of meat reduction. That’s great! I love reaching new people! But, to make sure we are all on the same page, I’ve decided to write out the definitive reasons why I think meat reduction is a critical social issue, likely the most overlooked social issue in our society today.
Entire books can be written about this topic (in fact, many have), but I aim to summarize the most important facts and arguments here, organized into harms to animals, the environment, and humans. Consider this resource comprehensive but not exhaustive: a way to distill the reasons behind meat reduction advocacy and clarify our mission going forward.
Animal Agriculture is a Moral Atrocity — Here’s Why
If you’re reading this, chances are that you’re an animal lover. I am too! I believe animals are individuals, worthy of consideration and care, and deserving of a life of beauty and free from suffering. Unfortunately, our species has designed a food production system that doesn’t live up to those ideals.
Most people’s mental images of animal farms — red barns, green fields, and overall-wearing ranchers — don’t match reality. In agriculture, factory farming is the norm, not an exception. In the United States, over 99% of animals raised for food are raised on factory farms, while worldwide it’s 94%. Factory farms are characterized by confining many animals in super tiny spaces, often in cages, and depriving them of sunlight, access to the outdoors, or even the ability to be with their friends and family.
This confinement creates huge problems for animals. Most farmers define welfare as animals being free from disease or injury, which isn’t exactly how most people think of welfare. If you had a healthy dog who lived her entire life in a kennel without access to sunlight, toys, nature, or other animals, would you define that as high welfare? I personally wouldn’t. Even farms with higher welfare standards suffer from this problem: the mental states of farmed animals are completely ignored. Research backs up what you and I see: hens in cages exhibit symptoms of depression.
The types of animals on farms matter too. Have you ever met one of those dogs, like a bulldog or pug, that has been selectively bred for so long that their genetics now cause serious breathing problems? Well, the exact same thing is happening to farmed animals, except they’re being genetically bred to grow faster and fatter, not to maximize cuteness. Chickens, turkeys, cows, pigs, and more have all been getting fatter and fatter, which is great for producing cheap meat but an absolute disaster for welfare. Chickens can now develop heart disease in their first few months of life; pigs grow fatter and produce more piglets per litter; hens lay far more eggs than before.
To continue reading, click here for the full post (no paywall): The Consequences of Factory Farming Are Too Large to Ignore