By Vera Rodriguez,
Throughout history, we have developed empathy and rationalized how to treat other humans. Although human rights coverage differs widely between countries, there is at least a common understanding of certain rights (right to freedom and life, prohibition of slavery). On paper, these are agreed on by most states —192 countries, to be precise— as signatories of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These ideas are stated in international treaties and expanded in many constitutions and laws, and they are all based on an underlying assumption of equality among humans.
This principle is not based on people’s skills, as people come in different shapes, sizes, and abilities. For instance, advocating for equality based on similar cognitive skills is dangerous. Although we know that intelligence is distributed equally throughout the races, what if we discover one day that it is not? Moreover, there are people with mental disabilities. Where would our principle of equality go if it rested on cognitive ability?
This all points to the understanding that the principle of equality of human beings does not require all human attributes to be equal. Instead, it prescribes how we should treat each other on the understanding that we have essential similarities that make us deserve human treatment, such as the ability to feel pain. That is why this right also partially covers other species that differ in abilities from those exhibited by humans. Although domestic animals, such as cats and dogs, might not be, on average, as intelligent as humans, there is an ethical consensus on preventing them from abuse, mistreatment, and murder. Once again, this understanding lies in the fact that animals have some essential similarities to humans, namely their ability to feel pain, which protects them from more suffering. Thus, social awareness exists of the fair treatment some animals deserve. However, much work has to be done regarding farm animals.
Animal products, including their bodies, are produced through much suffering. In the European Union, estimates reflect that 70% and 80% of farmed animals are raised in intensive systems, varying per animal (97% of pigs live in facilities over 1000 animals). These numbers do not reflect only the meat people occasionally buy at fast food franchises. Instead, it is the meat that is most available for consumption.
Intensive farming refers to the conditions in which animals are raised. They are confined in small, overcrowded spaces, which leads to significant amounts of stress and aggressive behaviors, such as heart attacks or cannibalism. For instance, within a week of being born, 90 million piglets in Europe are castrated every year, usually without any anesthetic or pain relief. This procedure is done by cutting the scrotum with a scalpel, pulling out the piglet’s testes, and cutting them off. These unethical practices do not only stop at meat production. Every year, 330 million one-day-old male chickens are killed in the EU due to egg production. Dairy products are no better. If the reader wants to learn more about these conditions, I have suggested some sources in the bibliography section of this article.
So, what about the principle of equality with other animals? Animal rights philosopher Peter Singer discusses the equality of consideration regarding suffering. Concern for children’s well-being may require that we teach them to read; concern for the well-being of pigs may require leaving them with other pigs and adequate food and room to run freely. Our meat, dairy, and egg consumption results in the abovementioned treatment, as most of our diets rely on it. Thus, the well-being of farmed animals can hardly improve without changing consumers’ habits. We consume more meat than ever recorded in history, and it is well-known that animal products (fish and meat included) are unnecessary for healthy nutrition. Furthermore, a plant-based diet is a new way of discovering new tastes and is often cheaper, as there is no need to buy meat or milk replacements.
I know this is not a fun article to read. However, if one idea is to be taken from this article, it is the following: animal farming fails human ethics. And although this essay is informative, it has a clear purpose. We can all do something about animal exploitation because it is everywhere. The most significant step is through our eating habits, as lives are spared due to this choice, and plant-based products also arrive at local stores. I reckon it is tough to change one’s habits, especially regarding food. However, the most crucial step is to realize that animal suffering is not worth the pleasure we get from it.
References
- Peter Singer. “Animal Liberation”. Vintage Publishing
- Male chick culling. European Parliament. Available here
- Life Expectancy of Chickens. Four Paws International. Available here
- The EU pig meat sector. European Parliament. Available here
- Better lives for pigs. Eurogroup for animals. Available here
- Gary Yourofsky – The Most Important Speech You Will Ever Hear. Youtube. Available here
- EU pumps four times more money into farming animals than growing plants. The Guardian. Available here
