Industrial farming is responsible for misery and pain

By Natalia

What’s the animal equivalent of a humanitarian? Is it morally and ethically permissible to eat meat and never question it? Are there worse and better ways of killing animals? That is definitely a contentious subject for many “meat eaters” and those who are strictly against of animal products consumption. And of course all the answers are different.

Some people may think that it is a conflict to love animals and eat them. But I don’t want to debate what you choose to eat, or convince you to change your nutritional habits. That is all up to you. Everyone deals with their own individual nature as they see it. I only want to share some facts on industrial farming, being described as one of the worst crimes in history.

Even though unnecessary cruelty to animals is strictly forbidden, it does not affect human habits. Thousands of generations ago, human being shaped a need of killing animals, which was yet indispensable for survival and reproduction. Times have changed and the dark ages have passed away! Nowadays, we do not have to create emotional pain and kill helpless animals in order to survive. People tend to blindly follow traditional ideas and ways of thinking; therefore they do not question themselves, if it’s morally appropriate to slaughter animals for food. Many of you may think this is the way that we have been raised and it is absolutely normal to eat certain types of animals, however industrially farmed animals are sentient beings with complex sensations and emotions. They may not be as intelligent as we are but they certainly know fear and pain.

I was brought up eating meat and never considered it as being wrong until I understood, something cannot be right purely because this is the way we have always done it. Especially that it’s not difficult to obtain protein from other sources. We don’t need meat to survive and it’s been proven scientifically. My desire for eating meat disappeared quickly after I decided to find out what happens before a packed breast of chicken gets on the shopping shelf.

Sadly, industrial revolution resulted in increase of brutality and provokes people to follow their subjective needs. According to One Green Planet, over 58 billion farm animals are unnecessarily slaughtered for consumption (Geer 2014). Human ability to harm animals keeps growing along with a scientific knowledge, which then allows the community to manipulate animals’ life in order to strengthen the industry.

Chickens are being genetically engineered with the help of hormones, pesticides, medications, vaccinations and automatic feeders; they have multiples legs but often no ability to walk. At the “poultry prisons”, their living space limits to less than a square foot and they often do not get water or food, while being transported to slaughterhouse (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation).

Cows, on the other hand, often stay still alive after being forced through a chute and shot in the head with a gun. Workers do not stop a line, simply because they are afraid of losing their jobs. The more animals are killed, the more money is made for the industry (Peta.org).

I have heard many people saying: “You won’t stop people from eating meat” and I am fully aware they are right. Maybe I do not possess a power to revolutionise the world because I suddenly realised that what people have been doing for many centuries is brutal and completely unnecessary, but leastwise I am not a part of continuous cruelty to hopeless animals.

Have you thought about your contribution to industrial farming? Do you think it’s ethical that animals are mistreated and brutally slaughtered for the well-being or carnivores?