What does it mean to do the right thing? A Western Producer editorial, “Doing right thing best way to counter anti-meat threat,” in the Jan. 25 issue raised some very important issues.
Farms that breed and raise animals for their meat are now under pressure to change practices. These farms are also important businesses, both financially and culturally for many people. Changing longstanding practices is difficult and can sometimes be associated with serious harms that should be avoided and minimized.
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It is also important to recognize that change can be good and is sometimes needed. Consider the oil and gas industry. We cannot immediately stop producing gas or using all gas-powered vehicles. That would be harmful. But some changes do need to happen and there are benefits to reducing our reliance on gas and fossil fuels. With support, new sources of energy could be a real benefit for individuals and communities.
Food is a sensitive subject, and much more culturally important than fuel. But there are also serious issues with food production that we need to address.
For example, with a growing population, if we are going to reduce global warming and greenhouse gas emissions, we need to change food systems and address the increasing numbers of animals we raise for food in Canada and globally.
If we had delicious chicken nuggets and ice cream with the same taste, texture and nutrients as the ones we are used to, but made without slaughtering chickens or milking cows, those would also be nice options to have.
As well as the numbers, the way animals are treated on farms has also come under more scrutiny. We now know that pigs and cows, like dogs, have personalities and can think and feel. These facts present challenges to farming practices that both producers and consumers need to face head on.
However, rather than openly discuss and address challenges of animal agriculture, some business representatives, and some politicians, have tried to dismiss or misrepresent them. For example, in testimony to the government, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture questioned whether animals are actually sentient or capable of cognitive thought.
The British Columbia minister of agriculture presented farming codes of practice that included keeping foxes in small wire-bottomed cages on fur farms and killing them by anal electrocution using rectal probes and metal bite bars, as demonstrating the utmost care and respect.
As consumers, we want to know that the animals we eat have been well cared for. Seeing overhead drone videos of young calves separated from their mothers and isolated in plastic hutches on massive dairy farms can be unsettling. These videos demonstrate that farms are not all the same, and that, in reality, life can be very harsh for some animals.
Rather than openly address these issues, and allow consumers to better understand aspects of large-scale dairy production, authorities in Iowa passed a law calling for up to one year in jail if flying a drone with a camera within 400 feet of large farms with animals.
Here in Canada, undercover videos have shown cases of horrific mistreatment of cows on dairy farms in Chilliwack, B.C. Farmers and consumers alike expressed condemnation but there have been no additional large scale supports to improve oversight and care to prevent these cases from happening.
Instead, legislation that has been put forward acts to strengthen existing anti-trespass laws and prevent more undercover videos. Trespass on private property is illegal, and should remain so. However, cameras and videos could provide an excellent way for regulators to improve oversight, biosecurity measures and animal welfare.
These are complex issues. There are no easy answers. It takes multidisciplinary approaches, an openness to have public discussion and informed consumers, and genuine support for individuals and businesses to “do the right thing.”
Dr. Jan Hajek is an infectious diseases specialist at Vancouver General Hospital and a clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia.
