IATP Hog Report - Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
IATP Hog Report - Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
IATP Hog Report - Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
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Section 6<br />
can be mobilized.<br />
However, there also are compelling ethical reasons <strong>for</strong> treating farm<br />
animals with respect <strong>for</strong> their natures. Rachel Carson concluded her<br />
<strong>for</strong>eword to Animal Machines as follows: 113<br />
The final argument against the intensivism now practiced<br />
in this branch of agriculture, is a humanitarian one. I am<br />
glad to see Ruth Harrison raises the question of how far<br />
man has a moral right to go in his domination of other life.<br />
Has he the rightto reduce life to a bare existence that is<br />
scarcely life at all? Has he the further right to terminate<br />
those wretched lives by means that are wantonly cruel? My<br />
own answer is an unqualified "no." It is my belief that man<br />
will never be at peace with his own kind until he has<br />
recognized the Schweitzerian ethic that embraces decent<br />
consideration <strong>for</strong> all living creatures – a true reverence <strong>for</strong><br />
life.<br />
Some Strategies <strong>and</strong> Action Alternatives <strong>for</strong> Improving the<br />
Welfare Of Animals Raised <strong>for</strong> Food<br />
1. Support ef<strong>for</strong>ts by animal welfare groups to in<strong>for</strong>m the public<br />
about the high toll factory farm practices take on farm animal<br />
health <strong>and</strong> welfare, <strong>and</strong> how these practices, in turn, harm people<br />
<strong>and</strong> the environment.<br />
2. Support ef<strong>for</strong>ts by animal welfare groups to in<strong>for</strong>m other antifactory<br />
farm organizations about common interests <strong>and</strong> encourage<br />
cooperation among these groups.<br />
3. Stop agribusiness <strong>and</strong> its supporters from eroding more state anticruelty<br />
statutes to make it easier <strong>for</strong> factory farms to set up shop,<br />
stay in business, <strong>and</strong> use their economies of size to compete with<br />
independent family farmers. Animal factory investors will try to<br />
scare small farmers <strong>and</strong> lead them to believe that animal welfare<br />
regulations would put small farmers out of business, thus hiding<br />
behind the favorable image the public has of independent family<br />
farmers.<br />
4. Educate children <strong>and</strong> young adults about the natural behaviors of<br />
farm animals, to remind them that farm animals are individuals<br />
with their own needs <strong>and</strong> interests <strong>and</strong> that they are worthy of our<br />
respect.<br />
5. Support research <strong>and</strong> development ef<strong>for</strong>ts regarding welfarehttp://www.iatp.org/hogreport/sec6.html<br />
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