How We Use Animals: A Closer Look at Veganism and Animal Welfare
Our food choices have become more than just a matter of sustenance; they have taken on ethical implications. A vegan lifestyle provides a harmonious alternative to the often excessively cruel and abusive practices that have become our norm. Vegans avoid using animals for food, clothing, or other purposes. How far do these lifestyle choices go in saving animals from misery and pain?
The Ugly Reality Behind Animal-Sourced Products
Modern life, especially in cities, distances consumers from the appalling conditions and cruel processes to which many animals are subjected. With eye-catching packaging and clever marketing, we derive comfort from bucolic scenes of happy animals living out their natural lives grazing in open fields. However, modern animal farming is a far cry from this. Here are just some of the implications of the animal-sourced products we see prettily wrapped and packed in our supermarkets.
Factory Farming
Factory farming involves raising large numbers of animals in confined spaces for mass production to maximize profit. In these industrial farms, animals are often crammed into overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, where they are deprived of the ability to engage in natural behaviors. Pigs, for example, may be confined to small gestation crates, barely able to move or turn around. Chickens are often packed into battery cages, with each bird having less space than an iPad to live their entire lives. These conditions cause immense physical suffering, including physical ailments due to selective breeding for rapid growth or high egg/milk production. The animals experience extreme stress and fear throughout their lives.
Moreover, the lack of adequate veterinary care at many factory farms exacerbates the suffering of animals. Due to the sheer number of animals being raised, individual attention and medical treatment are often neglected. This results in untreated injuries and illnesses, which can spread rapidly among densely packed animals. Diseases such as avian influenza and swine flu have been known to originate in these farms, posing a significant risk to both animal and human health. Widespread use of antibiotics in factory farming to counter such outbreaks can give rise to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also posing a serious threat to public health.
Aside from the ethical and health concerns, factory farming also has detrimental environmental effects. The excessive waste produced by these farms, including animal manure and urine, poses a significant challenge regarding disposal. The improper management of this waste can lead to water and soil pollution, affecting nearby ecosystems and communities.
Slaughterhouses
Slaughterhouses are responsible for the final stages of an animal's life. The treatment of animals in slaughterhouses is often inhumane. Many are not adequately stunned before slaughter, leading to conscious and painful deaths. Health and safety violations are also common, posing risks to both workers and animals. Additionally, the conditions in which animals are transported and the distances traveled put extreme stress on them in their last hours.
Fur and Leather Industries
Leather and fur are not mere byproducts of animal food farming. They are multi-billion-dollar industries in their own right and responsible for horrific animal abuse. Animals like minks, foxes, rabbits, and cows are often kept in confined spaces and subjected to cruel treatment in fur farms and leather production facilities. A recent study found significant gaps in the supply chains of so-called ethical fashion brands. Animals were found to be subjected to mutilations like dehorning, tail docking, castration, branding, and piercing, often without pain relief. They were also beaten, neglected, and exposed to extreme heat.
Cosmetic Testing
While advancements have been made toward alternatives, many cosmetic companies still subject animals to cruel testing methods to assess the safety of their products in humans. Every year, half a million animals, primarily rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, and mice, are killed in testing beauty and skincare products, according to Humane Society International. For example, rabbits are subjected to chemicals to test the effects of products on their eyes, while mice have to endure skin irritation experiments. The majority of tests involve painful procedures and result in suffering, injury, and death for the animals involved.
Entertainment
Animals used in entertainment industries, such as film, circuses, marine parks, and roadside zoos, may endure physical and psychological suffering due to confinement, training methods involving coercion and punishment, and inadequate living conditions. Wild animals are deprived of their physical, behavioral, and emotional needs. For example, orcas in the wild travel vast distances in family groups, whereas captive ones have to swim circles in shallow pools to amuse human visitors.
Suffering for Our Convenience
Overall, the demand for animal products perpetuates a cycle of exploitation and suffering for billions of animals worldwide. Many animal welfare organizations advocate for more ethical and sustainable practices, and they promote viable alternatives to animal products to reduce the suffering inflicted on animals. As individuals, we can support their efforts through monetary donations and volunteer work. By educating ourselves about the implications of our dietary and lifestyle choices, we can make informed decisions that align with our values and contribute to a more compassionate and sustainable world.