public perceptions and questions about animal agriculture

Public Perceptions and Questions About Animal Agriculture

Who would have thought?

• Number one agricultural business in Kentucky is the poultry industry?

The major player in world meat marketing is Brasil Batista Swift?

A major Thanksgiving seller for vegans is a tofu-shaped turkey!

Bottled Water• No standards• Increased carbon footprint• Lack of Fluoride• 70 percent not recycled

Paris Hilton

• Offered a $5000 award after a coyote grabbed her little tea cup poodle.

Horse Slaughter Ban

• H1N1 Scare

• Salmonella Scare

Vocabulary• Vegetarian• Locavore• Vegan• Dominionists• Anthropomorphic• Speciesist• Free range• Rightist• Activism• Biodynamics

Are Humans and Other Animals Different?

Differences Among Human and Other Animal Species

• Prehensile thumb• Upward locomotion• Adjusting to heat and cold• SOME Moralistic Behavior

Uses of Animals• Biomedical research• Education• Entertainment/Recreation• Food• Pets/Companionship• Species Preservation• Work• Fur

Some Issues Outside of Agriculture• Should one submit animals to pain for human

medical advancement?• Should a dog be debarked so not to bother other

neighbors in the condo?• Should “nuticles” be inserted into male dogs after

they are neutered?• Why anesthetize pets but not farm animals for

many procedures?• Do circuses exploit animals?• Trophy hunting and fishing?

What’s in…

• Whole hog sausage? Bologna? Pepperoni?• A burger? • An Angus burger? . A steak from Ponderosa vs. Longhorn?• Vegetarian lasagna?• “Pastured” egg?

US Dietary Recommendations

• Meat/Protein—Not over two 4 ounce servings DAILY• Fruits• Vegetables• Calcium• EXERCISE

Vegetarian Lifestyles

• Semi• Ovo• Lacto• Ovo Lacto• Pesco• Fruitarian• Vegan

Three Kinds of Vegetarian ActivismMoral vegetarians --believe life is possible

without killing other animals. Political vegetarians--believe a plant-based diet

is more just and sustainable. Nutritional vegetarians--believe that animal

products are “the root of all dietary evil.”

*Keith, The Vegetarian Myth

Reasons for Vegetarianism

• Morals/ethics

• Health–Issue of B12 and Fe in Females

Animal Product Misleadings

• Organic vs. Certified Organic• Natural• Free Range• Angus• Certified Angus Beef• Kosher and Halal

Pastured

When dining with a vegetarian one should ask:

• How long have been?• What type are you?• Why are you vegetarian?

• NOT “Do you eat jello?” “Do you wear shoes?” “You are going to die.”

Trend is to locavorism

• Reduce carbon footprint• Fresh food• Support local growers

Speciesism and Anthropomorphism

Are you a speciesist?

Anthropomorphic?

Most people are speciesists and anthropomorphic

• Speciesism—treating one species differently from another species

• Anthropomorphism—giving humanlike characteristics to animals

Rights vs. Welfare• Is there more?

• If you starve a horse to death?

• If you are a “cat person” who collects but doesn’t care for your cats?

• If you get your jollies beating animals?

• If you are the TN beef producer who starved 60 animals to death last week?

Is animal activism more than rights or welfare?

Liberation Rights Welfare Exploitation Cruelty

Welfare vs. Rights

• Welfare—has dominion over animals and has responsibility for animal well being

• Well-being—minimizing pain, stress, suffering, and deprivation while providing for psychological and behavioral needs.

Animal Rights• Concept implying that animals should be used for

no other purpose than the benefit of the animals themselves.

• The strictest interpretation implies an end to all animal uses including science, research, commercial agriculture and entertainment, and the total elimination of commercial and sport hunting and trapping.

Eastern vs. Western Philosophies

• “Combine the internal and the external into one and regard things and self as equal.” (Chin-ssu-lu, Chan, Reflections)

• “Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all living things that move on the earth.” (Genesis 1: 26 – 28)

Three Theories on Animals• Absolute dominionists. Do whatever we want with

animals. Humans are the only species with rights.

• Utilitarian believers. Animal have rights, but human needs outweigh any violation of animal rights.

• Abolitionists. Animals have similar rights as humans where interests are similar or aligned

Animal Welfare vs. Rights

• Welfare = Responsibility

Rights = Equality

Those idiots who practice exploitation and cruelty are neither

welfarists nor rightists. And agriculture has some of

those idiots. They make you responsible producers look bad.

• One bad apple can spoil the whole bag.

Pain and Feelings

• "When it comes to feelings like hunger or thirst, pain, joy--a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy."

Ingrid Newkirk

Rightist Organizations

• Humane Society of United States

• People for Ethical Treatment of Animals

HSUS is NOT the American Humane Society nor the Society for Prevention of Cruelty for Animals.

• Is not the Humane Society!

Issues in Animal Agriculture• Downer animals• Space• Transportation• Ethics of fitting and showing—hired jocks,

fraudulent papers, cosmetic engineering• Uneducated public generations from farm• Tunnel vision of producers regarding your

public

Who is your public?

• People three generations from the farm most of whom like to eat meat.

• Neighbors

• Everyone who consumes your product

Concerns of your neighbors

• They are NOT concerned about your using the latest scientific principles or economic models. Many do not realize you are running a complex business.

• They realize that your products will eventually die and will be consumed on their tables. They are still going to eat meat.

• They are concerned that you cared for your animals responsibly.

“Is it any of their business?”

“I was here before they moved here.”

“They just don’t understand!”

The neighbors have…• The votes to determine your future.

• Judge Executive could receive more tax revenue if your land was in a subdivision

• You as a producer are a minority whose strings are pulled by the majority. • When a minority becomes a

perceived threat to the majority, then issues arise.

Do you have tunnel or peripheral vision? Did you see the gorilla?

Did yo

Thanks for your attention!

• the food industry; it is dirty; it is unsafe, and it is a massacre of innocent animals. Cows, chickens, pigs, and other animals processed into food are not kept on a farm; they are crowded into pens and cages that are too small to even allow the animal to turn around (Krizmanic, 36). So if the animals are not growing up on farms, where are they? Animals are raised at places called "factory farms" (Krizmanic, 36), which is also known as intensive animal agriculture (Kamrin NA).

• "Crowding, rough handling, mutilation, force feeding, genetic manipulation, and loss of offspring are the normal and standard operating procedures" (Karmin, NA).

• 90% of all slaughtered animals are raised in confinement (Krizmanic, 37). At these "farms", nine million chickens, turkeys, pig calves, and cows are slaughtered every day (Robins, NA)

• .These animals are not just raised on animal feed alone. Animals are immobilized by machines and transported on assembly lines into darkened factories, to be injected with many toxic substances (Sequoia, 45), including antibiotics and hormones to make them grow faster and meatier (Krizmanic, 37)

• Every year, 85% of four million acres of topsoil is lost because of raising livestock (Sequoia, 47)

• There are a large number of people who are opposed to a major chance in their meat eating lifestyle for reason of tradition, health, and ridicule from other meat eaters. Humans are made to be omnivores, as we have teeth to eat meat, grains, and vegetables. Though we do not deny that fact, people for animal rights have a problem with how the meat is raised and brutally slaughtered for our personal enjoyment. There are many victims of deception in the food industry. Factory farms are unsanitary and downright unsafe and they perform many violations of animal rights and USDA policies. This industry is extremely dirty.

What are the beef cattle issues?Lack of understanding among farmers, rural non farmer and urban groups.

• Perception of lack of animal care.• Disposal of dead animals.• Environmental issues related to feedlots.• Show ethics including ID theft, cosmetics, illegal

drugs, professional fitters for 4-H and FFA activities.• Tunnel vision of producers regarding your public.

Think globally but act locally.

What are you doing locally?• When have you invited someone other than a

farmer to your farm?• When have you cooperated with other commodity

and Farm Bureau organizations?• When have you adopted a school or hosted a group

of teachers at an appreciation luncheon on a teacher workday?

Are you a good neighbor?• Do you keep those thistles cut?

• Do you minimize dust and mud?

How long do you leave dead carcasses at the end of the lane?

Do you provide adequate water and food in cold, icy times like these?

If you spread manure, why do you do it on July 4?

Activists GroupsHumane Society of The United States

(HSUS)• Talking Points on SB 12• Anti-animal agriculture groups, like the Humane Society of the United

States (HSUS), will oppose this bill. They will argue that the commission is made up of agriculture-friendly representation.

• HSUS, along with other animal rights groups, has stated their goal is to eliminate animal-based protein from the human diet, based on emotion rather than sound science and research.

• Please keep in mind that HSUS is NOT affiliated with your local animal shelter. In fact, only a little more than $450,000, or just half of one percent of HSUS’s total budget, went to organizations throughout the United States that provide hands-on care to dogs and cats.

Senate Bill 105 Courier Journal, Feb. 4, 2010

• • 14 member Livestock Care Standards Comission• • Givens: “Goal is that conversation be driven by scientific standards and practical animal care standards and the

conversation not be driven by emotion.” Also prevents local governments from adopting standards stricter than those set by the state commission.

• • Farmer: “goal is to block groups (PETA and HSUS) to restrict farming in the name of animal welfare.”• • State Vet Robert Stout ”Some animal abuse complaints are valid but many are not and the people reporting them

are often not familiar with agricultural practices.• • • According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, in 2008 Kentucky’s livestock and poultry production

accounted for nearly $3 billion in cash receipts, so it worth protecting.• • • Animal care is of utmost importance to Kentucky’s agricultural producers. This is best exemplified by the high

levels of production and low mortality rates achieved in modern livestock and poultry operations.• • • Kentucky farmers recognize that proper animal care practices lead to the production of high-quality products.

We know it’s in our best interest to adopt proven production practices, and we recognize that we are morally and legally responsible for the proper care of our animals.

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