I draw a distinction between factory farm meat (any poor creatures in massive Animal Feeding Operations) and other farms or hunted meat.
All animals die, and many animals eat meat, so in my book, eating meat that is humane-certified or raised and killed humanely is consistent with values held by animal rights activists.
(Humanely raised meat costs more but there is a broad price range and I'd be happy to help if your interested. I also recommend visiting the farm your meat comes from to verify conditions yourself.)
Animals raised in factory farms or AFOs do not get to enjoy any part of life. Every minute of their waking lives is painful. They live in darkness (because industrial farm operators know animals gain weight faster in the dark).
To get a quick education on the topic, go to the Sustainable Table online: http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/factoryfarming.
For more details read anything by Michael Pollan, especially his classic "The Omnivore's Dilemma", or "Factory Farm" or "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer, a more contemplative, philosophical look at the issue.
(If you just want a fun, flippant, short read that makes the vegab argument dressed up as Posh Spice, try reading "Skinny Bitch."
It's an animal rights book parading as a diet guide. Not kidding. The book became a best seller because Victoria Beckham was photographed carrying it around.)
Ultimately, these books all raise the question about our obligation to animals. It seems anathema to some people that humans have any obligations to other members of this planet. To me, it's just being a responsible steward of the planet. We have consciences. Let's use them.
Factory farmed animals lead living deaths.They fare worse than all other animals. With animals on traditional farms, there seems to be an implied bargain among human beings with our own consciences about how we treat animals. We give them plenty of food, water, shelter, rest. We get food. They get to live a certain quality of life before death. With wild animals, we give a bargain in which we take their lives, but as quickly and painlessly as possible. Of course, there is a higher way -- to evolve past killing. We really don't need to anymore. But I won't advocate for that since I'm not really opposed to killing animals. I'm all for killing mosquitos. Even mosquitos, however, get to enjoy their little lives before death. They live in paradise compared with animals raised on factory farms ( whether for meat or laboratory research).
Factory farmed animals live very unnatural lives. Their deaths may be quick or prolonged and slow. They may be tortured by frustrated plant workers. There is plenty of footage showing frustrated, tired slaughter house workers doing sadistic things to animals.
It seems contradictory for someone to say they support animal rights in any way, shape or form and then feast on cheap factory meat.
That brings me back to the hotdogs that started me thinking.
Hotdogs are generally produced from meat that would otherwise go to waste -- the sweepings of the slaughterhouse. Large-scale hotdog manufacturers generally go to factory farms for meat because they need vast quantities.
Although there is a broad spectrum of views among animal rights advocates, there is no view in that spectrum that consciously tolerates extreme suffering by animals used by factory farms for meat.
So animal rights activists noshing on hot dogs will be seen as hypocritical.
Incidentally -- it's not hard to stop supporting factory farms. You don't need to start by ordering expensive meat from boutique organic farmers. You stop factory farms by simply eating
less meat. For some people, that's a major change in habit. They think that a meal without meat is not complete, but there's more protein in spinach than in the same quantity of beef. Vegetables are loaded with protein and often have higher protein and vitamin content, albeit with lower amounts of helpful amino acids. * (See article abstract at the bottom of the blog entry for more details).
Try enjoying some of your meals without meat -- you can find loads of recipes at savvyvegetarian.com.
It is possible to eat meat and be humane toward animals -- but factory farms do not make the cut.
As an alternative, you can just buy meat from farms that are certified for humane conditions (there are fake approvals from the factory farm industry members so be cautious about greenwashing).
Check out Certifiedhumane.org
If you choose to go completely vegan, then check out this quick abstract of a 2005 research article about the pros and cons of a vegetarian diet:
Research Base of The Slovak Medical University, Institute of Preventive and Clinical Medicine, Bratislava, Slovakia. marica.kudlackova@szu.sk
Plant proteins have a reduced content of essential amino acids in comparison to animal proteins. A significant reduction of limiting amino acids (methionine, lysine, tryptophan) means lower protein synthesis. In subjects with predominant or exclusive consumption of plant food a higher incidence of hypoproteinemia due to significant reduction of methionine and lysine intakes was observed. On the other hand, lower intake of these amino acids provides a preventive effect against cardiovascular disease via cholesterol regulation by an inhibited hepatic phospholipid metabolism. Vegetarians have a significantly higher intake of non-essential amino acids arginine and pyruvigenic amino acids glycine, alanine, serine. When plant protein is high in non-essential amino acids, down-regulation of insulin and up-regulation of glucagon is a logical consequence. The action of glucagon in the liver is mediated by stimulation of adenyl cyclase that raises cyclic-AMP (adenosine-3,5-monophosphate) concentrations. Cyclic-AMP down-regulates the synthesis of a number of enzymes required for de novo lipogenesis and cholesterol synthesis, up-regulates key gluconeogenic enzymes and the LDL receptors and decreases the IGF-1 activity (insulin-like growth factor). Cyclic-AMP thus provides a reduction of atherosclerosis risk factors as well as a retardation of cancer development. A sufficient consumption of plant proteins has the protective effects against chronic degenerative diseases (Tab. 2, Ref. 26)."
Did you enjoy that read?
Me neither.
But the information comes in handy at a time when we need to think about the long-term impacts of our choices, because our choices reflect who we have chosen to become.
And by the way -- do yourself a favor. Before eating a hot dog, watch it being made. You owe it to yourself to see the consequences of your choices.
