Competition is encouraging cruel husbandry methods

1718: 

On farms, animal protein is produced by the application of high-tech husbandry methods, such  as genetic engineering. But low-tech is useful too, with the confining of animals and the use of growth promotants and antibiotics. Any or all of these questionable advances in animal husbandry have been taken up by ‘developing nations’ to win more of the market share.

In an ironic twist of fate, we wealthier nations have now become victims of our own inventiveness - as the poorer countries follow our lead, but with lower labour costs, they’ve been able to undercut on production costs; and the cheaper their product becomes, the more efficient and diabolical must our own intensive operations become, to keep pace with our competitors. As husbandry ‘developments’ spiral out of control, so the small farmer goes out of business and agribusiness takes over, in order to keep one step ahead of the competition. Today most of the meat, dairy and eggs in supermarkets are produced by large transnational companies, using industrial agriculture methods. Consequently, the animals involved in this food juggernaut are living out ever more horrific existences.

         

The consumer accepts low standards of animal welfare, because they want cheap food. And although most people wouldn’t be happy eating food that was knowingly produced cruelly, in their own minds they consider their hands are tied. It’s a take-it-or-leave-it situation. The only affordable animal products on the market are ever more coming from intensive farming operations. The only alternative - the option of not eating animal products at all - is something most people have never seriously considered.