Great article in the Vancouver Sun. Unfortunately, they decided to publish it with a huge picture of a cooked ham, so Im copying and pasting text only. BY PETER FRICKER, SPECIAL TO THE VANCOUVER SUN APRIL 18, 2014 Several million Canadians will sit down to eat their traditional Easter ham (or some other popular meat) this weekend and most will enjoy their meals untroubled by any thoughts of the life or death of the animal whose flesh they are about to consume. Cognitive dissonance, genuine ignorance, some carefully constructed rationalization or just sheer hedonism will ensure no mental images of factory farms or slaughterhouses spoil the occasion. Only the irritating presence of some vegetarian or vegan relative might raise the risk of an unpleasant outburst of serious and depressing discussion about the origins of the ham. But, out-numbered, they can usually be pressured into keeping the peace — if only for grandma’s sake. There are those, however, who have given consideration to — even struggled with — the ethical issues of meat consumption. They have read the books of Michael Pollan and follow Mark Bittman in the New York Times. They know modern livestock production is cruel. Yet, they too can sit guilt-free before the baked ham. They’ve solved the moral dilemma. Their ham is locally produced on a small organic farm using traditional husbandry. It’s humanely produced ham from happy pigs. With consciences clear, the carving can begin. But there’s a problem with this neat and tidy solution to the messy ethics of meat consumption and his name is Bob Comis. Comis is a pig farmer in rural New York State who raises pigs as humanely as possible, ensuring they can root and forage without the unnatural confinement of a factory farm. But recently, Comis wrote a blog post in which he made this confession: “As a pig farmer, I live an unethical life shrouded in the justificatory trappings of social acceptance. There is more, even, than simple acceptance. There is celebration of the way I raise the pigs. Because I give the pigs lives that are as close to natural as is possible in an unnatural system, I am honourable, I am just, I am humane, while all the while behind the shroud, I am a slaveholder and a murderer. “ This and similar pieces by Comis have been picked up by international press and discussed widely on social media, ultimately becoming the focus of a powerful essay by American author James McWilliams in The American Scholar magazine. The essay makes a compelling moral argument that killing animals is no more ethically defensible than making them suffer, but it’s a quote from Bob Comis that illustrates McWilliams’ point: “In a way, livestock farmers lie to their animals. We’re kind to them and take good care of them for months, even years. They grow comfortable with our presence, and even begin to like us. But in the end, we take advantage of the animals, using their trust to dupe them into being led to their deaths.” For ethical consumers in Canada, these arguments raise a disturbing question. Is there really such a thing as ethical meat? Recent undercover investigations by Mercy for Animals Canada, broadcast on Canadian networks, have shown there is no doubt that horrible cruelty is taking place on our factory farms, but is avoiding meat from these operations the end of our moral responsibilities? The thread of this ethical dilemma runs through the animal advocacy movement. A number of animal welfare groups worked hard for recent improvements to Canada’s code of practice for the care of pigs, including an end by 2024 to conventional stall systems that currently restrict pregnant sows from even turning around. While such progress is celebrated by many in the movement, others worry that consumers will see the headline “Cruel pig stalls banned” and, released from ethical concerns, load up their shopping carts with pork chops, bacon and ham. For the family that cares about animals and ethics, sitting before the Easter ham must remain an experience full of underlying doubts and questions, whether the pig was raised humanely or not. Perhaps it’s only the unwelcome vegetarian at the dinner table who can enjoy Easter with a clear conscience. Peter Fricker is the projects and communications director for the Vancouver Humane Society. © Copyright (c) Special to the Vancouver Sun
Posted on: Mon, 21 Apr 2014 02:44:17 +0000
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