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Ethics-Sociology-Philosophy

Paradox of addressing animal welfare while dehumanizing people

By June 12, 2020July 7th, 2020No Comments

Document type: article from the Feedstuffs site

Author: Candace Croney

Preview: Communicating about relevant shared values, internal discourse and meaningful action may go a long way toward demonstrating a commitment to one welfare.

At a point in time where a global pandemic is threatening human health and an extraordinary public awakening about systemic racism is fueling societal unrest in the U.S. and across the world, it feels a little tone deaf to be discussing animal welfare. Nonetheless, fueled in part by public discussions of the food chain breaking as COVID-19 infections caused temporary U.S. packing plant closures and necessitated mass euthanasia of farm animals in some instances, animal welfare remains a high priority for many people.

The ability to show compassion for animals even during times of crisis is a testament to human decency and a reflection of societal values that dictate that animals consistently deserve at least some level of moral consideration and protection, even when raised for food. Not surprisingly, animal welfare has become a core consideration in achieving sustainable, socially responsible food production. But as our collective thought process rightly evolves to be more inclusive of the interests of animals in the food chain, a disturbing pattern is emerging of overlooking vulnerable people within those systems who also deserve consideration.

Nowhere has this been more evident than in the current pandemic news coverage. A simple Google search using the terms, "animal welfare and COVID-19" returned a staggering 125 million results. Yet, substituting "farm worker" or "meatpacker" for "animals" returned a comparatively paltry number of results. If media coverage both shapes and reflects public interests, what do we make of this? Do we worry more about the animals that provide us food products than the workers who care for them and those whose labor ensures product availability?

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From the Feedstuffs site