Why should we bother? There are many reasons but just one will suffice for me - that a person who can hurt an animal without reason will not hesitate much to hurt a human being, in a riot for example. I do not know if anyone has studied this scientifically but I believe it strongly.
Yet it's not just factory farming that is to blame. The lone cyclist with live squawking birds strung upside-down by their legs is as much unconcerned with their suffering as the truck driver with cages stuffed full of shitting birds stacked in layers after layers for some twisted efficiency.
Some years ago, I sent Manu a link to a video showing horrendous treatment of factory farmed animals. He gave up eating meat as a result! He now only eats fish, with the reasoning that they probably suffer less as they are not cooped up in confined spaces.
I suggest we create a "CRUELTY FREE" certification for eggs and meat. We must push producers to avoid being cruel just to improve profit margins.
In this connection, I wrote to the CEO of Keggs, a leading company whose eggs I used to buy. A pack of Keggs used to look like this:
I urged the good gentleman to switch to cage free eggs - where the eggs were laid by birds free to roam around. He responded by saying that their eggs were already cage free due to their unique approach to egg farming. Lo and behold, a few days later, I saw that the packaging of the eggs had changed to incorporate a "CAGE FREE" statement (see below).
To the best of my knowledge, this is the very first incidence of "animal friendly" messaging on food packaging in India.
You too can make a difference! Go out and do something! Let the producers know what you think as consumers. Force restaurants to buy meat only from "CRUELTY FREE" producers.
14 comments:
Respected sir,
The three concern in my mind regarding this post are:-
- Only elite class of people enjoy eggs of keggs and good quality meat others depend on local market.Local market does not have enough profit margin to eliminate cruelty.
- As a consumer should we satisfy & assured by looking a tag like cage free?
-How one can be animal friendly while consuming them?
Great thought sir!
This idea would help us to become an informed customer; also it would influence a producer to become a more ethical seller.
Proton Mohit Dalmia
08PR00102BB017
Good Morning! Sir,
It looks very responsible to change or implement according to customer. It is good to be down to earth and listen everyone.
I am a vegetarian. Even I don't eat eggs and same for my whole family.
Thank You Sir
Regard!
Very good questions, Shashank! I especially liked "How can one be animal friendly while consuming them?"
The argument I use to justify eating meat is that meat-eating is very common in nature and plants too are living things that feel stress and pain. I think the only type of food one can otherwise safely eat is FRUIT - because it is usually designed by nature to be eaten by animals!
Hulesh, Mohit, thanks for reading and commenting.
Hello Sir,
This was a great blog!!I really liked your initiative when you urged Keggs's CEO to switch to cage free eggs.It actually motivated me to take such initiatives and I hope it would motivate others as well.
One more thing which struck my mind while reading the blog was that there are other animals and birds who get poached every year and we are unable to do anything.So I would like to know is there anything which we can do to save these vulnerable creatures?
Thank You Sir
Regards
Ruchi Gattani
09PR001011B032
Respected Sir,
It makes us to think whether we are doing right with such innocent animals.This the law made by nature itself.
But point made by Mr. Shashank is right up to some extent that in local market no one think about it and even big giants.
I have seen a video of world known company "K**" famous for its chicken and the way of making is just unbelievable that how wrong and cruel one can be.
The example of Keggs also show us that how company are responding towards their customers,that they changed their packaging on customers response in short period.
Thank You,
Proton Chetan Choparia
Fall 09 Indore
GOOD MORNING SIR...its a gr8 article reflecting the humanitarin aspect we all must adopt...but sir the only question i would like to ask you is that...
isn't a slaughter A "slaughter". it doesn't matter whether it is done cruelly or humanly...its just like killing a person either with bullets ..(which causes some suffering)..or with a bomb (causes no suffering at all..)...but ultimately its KILLING...
Dear Sir,
The example of inflicting harm to animals for our own interest is perfect. We humans as an intellectual race always defy nature's tender cycle and violate it every now and then. We don't realize the aftermath and the repercussions associated with it. If we don't take care of the animals and their habitats they will perish. their exploitation in the form of horrendous farming in "CAGES" and treatment given to them under captivity shows how we disrespect them and one simple day we will have to bare the brunt of it. At the end i'll like to conclude that we should act wise and realize the fact that 'whatever you reap that you sow'.
Warm regards,
Anurag Khandekar,
Carnegie Hall,
Fall'09
Good Morning Sir,
The response that followed your Letter to Keggs, yet again re-inforces the fact that steps, nomatter how small they appear, are neccessary for large strides.
More often, people just dont initiate, thinking its a cause too small.....A CAUSE TOO SMALL !?!
Last night I was attending a party at Hotel Sayaji, there were atleast 500 people and the non-veg never ran out of supply. The hotel hosts such parties atleast twice a day, even on weekdays, and as if this wasn’t enough, they have their Kebabsvilla.
To put it in an even larger context, just for food consumption, over 1 million land animals are slaughtered, in addition to a million more of marine animals/day in The U.S of A.
These facts, day-after-other are compelling me to give-up non-vegetarianism.
As for factory-farming…that’s cruelty to its core. People have no rights to curse Hitler for Auschwitz; factory farms are no less than Holocaust -- At KFC, an undercover investigation found out that chickens are drugged and bred to grow so large that many become crippled, and many have their throats cut while they are still conscious. At their slaughterhouse in West Virginia, its documented that workers were ripping off live birds’ heads, spitting tobacco into their eyes, spray-painting their faces, and violently stomping on them -- http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/Prefs.asp?video=kfc_overview_UK
How bad does it have to get ??
Thank you Sir, for this difference-making article which I’m sure has motivated enough Protons to go out and urge some of the restaurants to do their lil’ bit in for the bigger cause.
The Change begins with the one in the mirror, so let’s no more turn a blind eye to what’s happening around us – It’s Time For a Positive Change !! :)
--Have a Nice Day Ahead,
Pr. Akash Ahluwalia
Fall-09 Intake, Indore
Hi Sir, i disagree with your point. Why we always try to change things & law of nature according to our convenience? Is it necessery to be non vegetarien? When there is enough stuff for human beings to eat.Doen't it changes our thinking & way to look at nature & other species on earth?
Akash, a brilliant writeup - bravo!
Umesh, you are entitled to your opinion. I see your point but don't fully agree. As I said, the same argument can be made for not eating plants. I am in favor of a more nuanced argument, but again, you are entitled to your opinion.
Anurag, Chetan, thanks for your comments. Ruchi, you are a manager now. Why don't *YOU* come up with some ideas to stop poaching? Let me also think a bit.
Rohit, I appreciate your sensitive cry that "a slaughter is a slaughter". But is it that clear-cut? For example, we are all going to die, so does it matter how we live or doesn't it? :-)
Hey Manas, thanks for sending me that video link 2 years ago. I will post that on my blog separately. I actually stopped consuming non-veg totally after that (except Sunday eggs, and the occasional fish). A big transformation for me at least.
Respected Sir,
It is a great thought, and motivational also.
But I would like to know about the initiatives taken regarding the protection of animals and birds.
Thank You
Charchit Nema
09PR001011B013
Respected Sir,
This is a good news for animals that some one is really worried about them, because till now every body is only concerned about the taste and benefit and not about the pain which the animals get from eating them by people.And this is a good initiative that you have taken by suggesting the CEO of KEGGS this is really helpful for the animals who are not treated well atleast we care for you so what that after care i will consume you.
Sir please inform me if i had done any mistake while framing a sentence or my views about this topic.
Regards
Rahul Gupta
08pr00102ab073
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