Animal Welfare Ethics: Is There A Balanced Approach?
Part One: The Question
It is generally considered unethical, even illegal, to practice cruelty towards animals reared as pets. Wantonly killing wildlife is similarly scorned, and yet for some reason consumers turn a blind eye to livestock. It is possible to eat a balanced, healthy, and delicious diet that does not include meat but it is also understandable that many people would prefer a more balanced approach to animal welfare and the ethics of meat consumption. Therefore, the ethical question for this paper is: “Are factory farming conditions unethical, and if so, what would constitute an ethical framework for farming animals?”
Part Two: Introduction
Almost all (99%) of all livestock in the United States is raised in what is known as “factory farming” conditions, described by the ASCPA (2018) as “a large, industrial operation that raises large numbers of animals for food,” (p. 1). While many people take the source of their meat for granted, the conditions of factory farms have been increasingly called into question and not just by radical animal rights activists. Former factory farm employees have been speaking out about the cruel conditions...
References
ASPCA (2018). Factory farms. https://www.aspca.org/animal-cruelty/farm-animal-welfare
Gollom. M. (2014). Treatment of farm livestock. CBC News Canada. 16 April, 2014. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/treatment-of-farm-livestock-deciding-what-s-ethical-1.2611359
Hosie, R. (2017). The undercover investigators exposing animal abuse in factory farms. The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/animal-abuse-factory-farms-undercover-investigators-pigs-chickens-cows-turkeys-mercy-for-animals-a7501816.html
Soltaroff, P. (2013). In the belly of the beast. Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/belly-beast-meat-factory-farms-animal-activists
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