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JaslynTalia
ProfessorEricDinsmore
English6A
2November2015
EatingEthically

Over 65 billion farm animals are being slaughtered annually in the U.S. Many of us do
not recognize the choices we make in regards to the food we eat. Whether we choose to eat a
plate full of vegetables, or a towering dish with variouskindsofethicallyproduced meatsand
dairies. This raises an essential question: What does it mean to eat ethically? The question
merely provokes the thought of how we as consumers sometimes fail to recognize what we are
putting on our plates. There are many foods that are being labeled, humane, organic, or free
range. But these misleading labels do not makeanydifferencefromnonhumanelabeledfoods.
Realistically, these labels just mean a bigger cage, reducing theexcessiveuseofantibioticsbya
small amount, and allowing all other acts of cruelty that are considered humane. The food
system today in the U.S. needs to be reformed due to the exploitation of farm animals, the
dissociation between human to animal relationships, and the value of big corporations over
animals rights, therefore, we must vote with our dollars, abolish confined and cruel spaces to
farmanimals,andcreatelawsthatprotectbothourhealth,farmanimals,andtheenvironment.
Jonathan Safran Foer who is well known for his novel
Eating Animals
. Foer approaches
theultimatesignificanceofequalityforfarmanimals.AccordingtoFoer,Havinglittleexposure
to animals makes it much easier to push aside questions about how our actions might influence

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their treatment. The problem posed by meat has become an abstract one: there is no individual
animal, no singular look of joy or suffering, no wagging tail, and no scream (Foer 102). Foer
explicitly states how disconnected we are in terms of human interaction to the animals that are
beingputonourplates.Weareonlyobjectifyingfarmanimalsasfoodandnothingmore.Instead
of chicks, we recognize them as chicken nuggets when we are happily eating ourHappyMeals,
and instead of Pigs and Chickens, a great majority of us seem to only perceive them as bacon,
pork, and chicken wings. This is significant because Foer is trying to enlighten us on how
dissociated we are asawholewhenitcomestobeingconsciouslyawareofwhatwebuybecause
what we buy is what we support. Most people do not buy humaneororganicfoodsbecauseit
is expensive, which usually leaves one to resort to buying cheaper food that has been
industrialized. If more people decided to buy more food that was raised humanely, thenthese
large industrial farms and companies wouldsoonrecognizewhatwewantandultimatelychange
the way our foodsystemoperates.Unfortunately,sincethisisnotthecase,thedemandforcheap
food, cheap labor, andhigher profitisinfavoroflargecorporationsandindustrializedfarms.All
inall,theneedsofourfarmanimals,ourselves,andourenvironmentarenotbeingmet,therefore
the food system today in the U.S. needs to be reformed due to the the dissociation between
human to animal relationships. As a result, we must abolish confined and cruel spaces to farm
animals, create laws that protect both our health, farm animals, and the environment, and vote
withourdollars.
According toPeterSingerwhoiswellknownforhisphilosophyontheethicalargument
against eating meat is no longer an argument in favor of equality for animals (Bauer 160).
Singer explains how we as consumers, regardless if we are conscious of the decisions we make

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on purchasing various foods, we are also contributing to the cruelty of industrialized farm
animals. We are voting with our dollar By buying the meat, eggs, or milk produced in these
ways, we tolerate the methods of meat production that confine sentiment animals in cramped,
unsuitable conditions for the entire duration of their lives (Bauer 179). Singer explains how
buying these foods, means we tolerate the actions being made against these animals. He also
explains how there is a strong competition between many meat producers (farms) in making
profitaswellasonlyspendingaverysmallamountonthesafetyandhealthoffarmanimals.
According to a farmer in Foers novel who wishes to stay anonymous, If I misuse a
corporations logo, I could potentially be put in jail if a corporation abuses a billion birds, the
law will protect not the birds, but the corporations right to do what it wants. That is what it
looks like when you deny animals rights. Today we live in a world where it is conventionalto
treatananimallikeahunkof woodandextremetotreatananimallikeananimal(Foer47).The
farmer in this story was trying to show how the rights of big corporations and industrialized
farms are much more valued than the life and wellbeing of the animals being treated cruelly.
The importance of this quote is to show how devalued themeaningofanimalslivesmeanarein
comparison to the rights of companies. This goes to show how it is conventional to treat an
animal like a hunk of wood and extreme to treat an animal like an animal. Ultimately, our
present food system in the U.S. is failing to meet our needs due to thevalueofbigcorporations
over animals rights. For that reason, we must vote with our dollars, abolish confined and cruel
spaces to farm animals, and create laws that protect both our health, farm animals, and the
environment.

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American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has pointed out that Over
99% of farm animals in the U.S. are raised in factory farms (ASPCA). The ASPCA has
basically stated that almost all oftheanimalsarebeingraisedinfactory farms.Thisisagrowing
epidemic that must be addressed soon. There is only 1% of farm animals that are being farmed
the natural way without the use of any antibiotics or medication in general. As indicated by
Frank Reese, who is a farmer himself, What the industry figured out and this was the real
revolution is that you dont need healthy animals to make a profit. Sick animals are more
profitable.Theanimalshavepaidthepriceforourdesiretohaveeverythingavailableatalltimes
for very little money (Reese 54). This is important because Reese sheds some light on how
since there is a high demand for the process of food to be fast and quick, as a consequence the
animals are being mistreated. The truth here is, industrialized farms and corporations are more
likely to make more profit by producing sick animals at a faster rate in our favor. Taking
everything into account, it is clear that the food system today is not fully meeting the needs of
people, farm animals,andourenvironment.Thereforeitisessentialthatwevotewithourdollars
by purchasing from local family farms, abolish confined and cruel spaces to farm animals, and
create laws that protect both our health, farm animals,andtheenvironment, toputanendtothe
dissociation between human to animal relationships, and the value of big corporations over
animalsrights.
Some solutions that Foer has pointed out in the text, People are willingtopaymorefor
the sake of what they believe in. Theyre willing to pay therealprice.Andtothosewhosayits
just too much to pay for a turkey, I always say to them, Dont eat turkey. Its possible you
cant afford to care, but its certain you cant afford not to care (Reese 53). Foer is basically

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stating that one should be more mindful of the food choices they make. Realize that whatever
you choose to spend your money on is what you are supporting. This is significant because by
doing so, the amount of people who want ethically raised farm animals, the demand to treat
animals better will increase tremendously, causing a positive change onourhealth,reducingthe
amountofpollution,andthewellbeingofallfarmanimals.
There are several solutions to put an end to this injustice inparticular,youcanstartwith
where youliveandwhatyoubuy.Takenote,youaresupportinganythingthatyoubuywithyour
money. Consider buying from small local family farms, markets, and from stores that sell
humanely raised farm animals. Do some research on food producers that do raise humanely
raised farmanimals such as: Chipotle, Whole Foods, and Wolfgang Puck Restaurants. Food
producers to avoid are: Tyson Foods (known for animal abuse), SmithField Foods Inc. (known
for animal abuse), ConAgra (also known for animal abuse). That is just a few of the large and
widely known food producers in the food market, and notice thattheyareall knownfortreating
their animals cruelly. A second solution would be to consider becoming vegan, vegetarian, or
reducing the amount of meat and dairy products you consume. Another solution is getting
involved with your community by attending city council meetings, helping create petitions that
address the many injustices that take place regarding the cruelty of farm animals, and propose
laws to the mayor in your city. Being aware and mindful of what you consumeisbeneficialbut
untilyoutakeaction,nothingwilleverimprove.
Whether you choose to be vegan or vegetarian, it will not be as effective until a great
majority of people come to a realization of this particular injustice against farm animals. Until
this issue is addressed, andpeoplebegintopurchasewhattheysupport. Inthefinalanalysis,the

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food system today in the U.S. needs to be reformed due to the exploitation of farmanimals,the
dissociation between human to animal relationships, and the value of big corporations over
animals rights, therefore, we must vote with our dollars, abolish confined and cruel spaces to
farmanimals,andcreatelawsthatprotectbothourhealth,farmanimals,andtheenvironment.

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WorksCited

"AnimalDeathStatistics2011."
AnimalDeathStatistics2011
.N.p.,n.d.
Web.7Nov.2015.
Bauer,Holly.
FoodMatters:ABedfordSpotlightReader
.N.p.,n.d.Print.
Foer,JonathanSafran.
EatingAnimals
.NewYork:Little,Brown,2009.Print.
"FarmAnimals."AmericanSocietyforthePreventionofCrueltytoAnimals,
n.d.Web.7Nov.2015.
"ProtectFarmAnimals:TheHumaneSocietyoftheUnitedStates."
RSS
.
HumeSociety,8Nov.2015.Web.6Nov.2015.