Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
8
CONTROVERSIES ABOUT
LIVESTOCK
The Well-Being of Livestock Raised for Food
How Do You Define Animal Welfare?
Most people are omnivores, and because they also have empa-
thy for farm animals, they want livestock to live a pleasant
life—or at least not suffer. Our research has revealed that
31 percent of Americans believe that livestock have souls, and
64 percent believe that God wants humans to be good stewards
of livestock. Only 28 percent say the feelings of animals are not
important. Consumers express their altruism for animals in
how they buy their food. Citizens express it in how they vote.
Farmers and meat processors demonstrate it when they make
large investments in better facilities and equipment to reduce
animal stress, like those designed by Dr. Temple Grandin (as
depicted in the HBO film that bears her name). Empathy is
a constant concern for agricultural scientists as they research
how to improve animal welfare while keeping food afford-
able, abundant, and safe.
Interest in animal welfare may be more pronounced today
than ever before, but the interest has always been present. Each
religion has its own particular way of viewing livestock, but
they all respect the animal in some way. A theory for the devel-
opment of the Jewish custom of consuming only kosher foods
contends that the Jews sought to mimic the Garden of Eden,
