We’ve all seen the labels: local, free-range, grass-fed, humanely raised. They sound wholesome. They sound ethical. But what if these labels are not about kindness to animals at all, and instead are about making humans feel better about eating them?
1. A Shorter Journey to the Slaughterhouse Doesn’t Make It Humane
“Locally sourced” often conjures images of a farmer who knows each animal by name. People may refer to local butchers they frequent, or to knowing the animal who was killed and seeing them in a nearby field. The truth is that the final destination is the same. Whether the slaughterhouse is two miles away or two hundred, the animal still faces fear, pain, and death. Locality changes nothing for the one whose life is being taken.
Knowing who the victim was doesn’t make it any better for the victim, either. In the case of the murder of humans, it is common that the victim knew their killer. Making an argument that anyone involved in the process of their killing knew them, therefore it ‘wasn’t so bad’, or was even ethical – would be considered wild.
2. Fewer Animals Killed Does Not Make It Right
Some argue that small-scale farms are better because fewer animals are slaughtered overall. Perhaps for the case that they would have had a better quality of life as a result (explored in number 3) but numbers are irrelevant to the individual animal. For the sheep, pig, or chicken whose life is cut short, it does not matter if they are one among millions or one among dozens – the end result is identical. Yes, a factory farm crammed with animals is a source of dreadful experiences – but a victim could be the only person in a large room – it wouldn’t make it better.
3. A “Good Life” Doesn’t Justify a Planned Death
Many “ethical meat” campaigns highlight the quality of life the animals have before slaughter. Rolling pastures, open skies, plenty of space. If you visit the meat aisle at the store, you’ll probably see images plastered above the flesh that paint such a scene. But what is the value of that life if it ends prematurely with a knife to the throat? Not to mention that the shortening of their life was premeditated. Imagine a mother providing her child with the best life possible – then using it as a justification for ending the child’s life. It wouldn’t stand for a moment.
4. “Humane Slaughter” is an Oxymoron
Humane means compassion and benevolence. Slaughter is the act of taking a life against that individual’s will. It is the destruction of all future moments they could have had. What would remotely be compassionate or benevolent about inflicting that on someone? Dressing it up with comforting words does not change the nature of the act.
5. Whose Comfort is Being Protected?
Ethical meat marketing is not for the animal’s benefit – it’s for the consumer and, in turn, the seller. The fantasy that an animal made some sort of sacrifice, that they were provided care, shelter, safety, etc., serves as a comfort blanket. It functions as a tool to soothe guilt, to reassure buyers they can keep eating meat without confronting the horror that made it possible. If what happened to them was promoted – scenes of their throats slit on the packaging, many more people would think twice about buying their bodies.
6. The Reality is Simple
An animal who wants to live is subjected to a life of commodification and misery for the perceived benefit of humans. The only truly humane choice is to stop killing them altogether.
