Public image is on the forefront of meat industries and associations agenda. Realizing that the image portrayed by PETA and other advocacy groups is off-putting, farm associations are trying to find a way to tell their side of the story. Today at the Iowa Pork Producers we heard about one of the most controversial subjects in farming: whether the use of gestation crates in hog barns are humane.
By using humane and a type of animal in the same sentence one thought came to my mind, animals are not humans. I am against a society that is cruel towards animals but to treat an animal as if they were human is foolish. PETA will argue whether I would like it if I was stuck in a crate today. My response is no but I also do not enjoy rolling around in my own feces. Animals and humans are different and must be treated differently, something many people will disagree with me on.
While the pork industry would enjoy my stance on animal rights, this stance has just begun to develop. Animal activists are more effective in advocating their position to the public, causing the public to make assumptions about the “evil” food industries and their practices. Only “evil” industries would want to kill Wilbur – an adorable pig in Charlotte’s Web – and sell his remains to children to eat. By slanting the image of animal industries, animal activists are able to foster a relationship between a man and his meal. Food industries are unsuccessfully countering these attacks and can only watch as PETA begins to slowly shift the views of Americans in their favor.
Stirring the pot just enough, animal activists are having an effect on how farmers treat their livestock. By raising “awareness” of how “inhumane” industries are towards their livestock and linking animal abuse to food safety, animal activists have shifted the way farmers process food. In fear of losing business, slaughterhouses are compelled to treat their ANIMALS HUMANELY.
Food industries must become transparent to neutralize the attacks animal activists present, otherwise consumers will continue to misunderstand the activity that occurs in farm industries. While artificially inseminating pigs, I had the chance to view and form my own opinion regarding gestation crates. This opportunity is rare, but should not be if farming industries want to take the next step in neutralizing PETA’s attempts to derail them. There has been progress made by farming industries. Hotlines have been established for consumers to call in any suspected animal cruelty and hog farmers have to attend multiple seminars to be certified in hog farming. While these steps should be enough to warrant a “good job” from the public, the public is unable to recognize this because of the confidentiality that surrounds farming. Will the farming industry do enough to neutralize the effects that animal activists have on our society today? That question is one I do not have an answer to.