This video is absolutely heartbreaking and devastating. I couldn't watch the whole thing and after I stopped, I tried to call this inhumane farm but couldn't get through.
It shows how badly cows and their calves are treated. It's brutal and inhumane and only lets us assume what's going on on lots of farms (not only dairy) all over the world. Don't watch this with your children!
Please think twice before purchasing animal products. Buy from farmers you know and trust and where you have the option to see the animals.
Organic is a good start, but not the ultimate answer.
Cutting down on animal products in another way to go, and trying to incorporate a lot of vegan meals into your diet would help all those poor animals the most - and the planet as well!
Thanks for posting this, Manuela. So horrible but important to bear witness. You are right to point out that organic and humane labels are good places to start but must be viewed very critically. Sometimes those labels are simply greenwashing/humanewashing by the companies. I feel really strongly about these issues because I spent quite a lot of time working on them professionally before I took a hiatus. I shared my thoughts on this video and its attendant issues (and why buying humane meat isn't enough to safeguard) on another site but will share them here, too.
ReplyDeleteOne often overlooked thing is that there are major issues around the transport of animals to slaughter (overcrowded transport trucks, lack of water/food, no enforcement re weather conditions such as very hot or freezing cold days). And animals that produce, say, organic milk are still slaughtered in the same facilities that slaughter non-organic milk cows.
There is very little USDA oversight and enforcement at these facilities -- this so problematic, in fact, that this winter a USDA vet testified in Congress about many breaches of safety and humane laws that routinely occur at slaughter plants. This is a good article about that testimony. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-03-03-food-safety_N.htm
Finally, one thing many people don't know is that the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act exempts ALL poultry...9 billion (or more) chickens per year (not even counting turkeys!) have no legal right to a humane slaughter in the U.S.
In my opinion, this video is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of how animals are treated in the food system in our country.
Thank you for sharing this here!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more to everything you said and also believe that this is just the tip of a huge iceberg.
Having said that, I also feel like every step in the right direction must be recognized and honored - adding vegetarian and/or vegan recipes to one's diet, cutting down on meat and animal products in general and to even start giving the issue a thought! Every even so small step helps the animals, and in the end, our planet.
All the recipes I post here on my blog are vegan (ok, I do use raw honey, but that can easily be substituted for the real vegans out there) and I hope by raising awareness I get more and more people on board.
Thank you for being part of this!