Hunting is often brought forth as an ethical alternative to factory farming. But does the
method by which an animal is killed effect the morality of their death? And does killing
our own dinner imbue the meal with a greater justification than if it were factory farmed?
There’s been quite a lot of debate over this ethical quandary, and I figured I might
as well take a shot. Y’know…cause it’s like hunting…
...that's not a very vegan joke.
Hi it’s Emily from Bite Size Vegan and welcome to another vegan nugget. This is the second
video in my series on common hunting myths. In the first, we looked at the incredibly pervasive
myth that hunting is necessary to control deer populations. And today we’re taking
on the question of hunting’s ethical superiority to factory farming.
Even the staunchest meat, dairy and egg eaters will readily agree that factory farming is
far from ideal. It’s environmentally devastating, a serious health hazard for animals and humans
alike, and an ethical land mine of horrific practices.
In case you’re not aware, factory farming, also known as intensive animal farming, industrial
livestock production, or concentrated animal feeding operations, is a modern form of farming
that focuses on producing the highest output at the lowest cost possible. With money as
the focus, the lives and health of the animals involved, the environmental cost,
and the impact upon consumer health are all left in the wake of factory farming’s destruction.
This method of farming, wherein animals are kept in higher stocking densities than was
traditionally practiced, includes the use of battery cages, gestation crates, and requires
ample use of antibiotics and pesticides to mitigate the spread of disease exacerbated
by overcrowding. Not only are the living conditions of these animal manipulated, but
their very genes as well. All factory farmed animals have been genetically manipulated
to produce more faster. These animals grow twice as fast, or more, than is natural, resulting
in a myriad of health conditions and injuries. Then there’s the environmental devastation
and the adverse health effects for humans to consider as well. I'm not going to go into
detail about these in order to keep this video focused. But you can get more information on the precise
environmental cost of animal products in this video of mine
which is also linked up below and in the info card sidebar.
Now before we try to comfort our self with the idea that this kind of farming is the exception
to the rule and desperately attempt to resurrect the vision of the local, family-run farm,
we have to realize that 99% of all farmed animals raised in the United States are factory farmed.
And, on a worldwide basis, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization, or FAO, 80% of growth in the livestock sector now comes from these industrial
production systems with factory farms now accounting for 72 percent of poultry production,
43 percent of egg production, and 55 percent of pork production worldwide.
In comparison to this perverse method of acquiring our food, almost any alternative will look
ethically preferable. And hunting, in particular, holds the gleam of being a far more sustainable,
honest way of killing animals for our meals.
When we look at the numbers and methods side by side, it’s no question that hunting is
far more sustainable. Though hunting also has a negative effect on the environment and
is the third most known cause for animal extinction since 1600,
it's impact is undeniably smaller than factory farming.
The idea that hunters are conservationist, however, is groundless, as hunters investment
in habitat protection has nothing to do with the habitat itself and everything to do with
ensuring future hunting opportunities. This is evidenced by the frequent hunter endorsed
clear-cutting of large areas and logging on public lands as both create edge habitat for deer.
On the human health front, hunted animals are typically wild and thus not genetically manipulated,
antibiotic-free and not living in their own filth. So from a pure hygienic, human-health
stance, hunting would be preferable. Assuming that we need to eat animals- which is a pretty
big ass….umption.
But what about the million dollar question? Is it more ethical to hunt and kill an animal
for food than purchase animal flesh produced at a factory farm? Well first off, the majority
of hunting today is recreational. But let’s assume that a hunter is hunting with the express
goal of consuming the animal. Hunting proponents will argue that hunting is far more humane
than factory farming as their prey hasn’t had to live in horrific, cramped conditions
and their death will be swift and painless. First, that’s assuming the hunter is an
expert shot and can cause instantaneous death. Second, and more importantly, it’s assuming
the absurd notion that a hunter can accurately assess how another being of another species
experiences their death.
Sounds doable.
But again, for argument’s sake, let’s say that a hunter is able to assure instant, painless
death, which is rarely, if ever, the case. Is that death somehow cleansed of all wrong?
This line of questioning closely mimics the humane, free-range, and cage-free arguments,
which I address in full in this video. And I find that, statistics and philosophy aside,
the best way to put all of this in perspective is to reframe the situation. For instance,
if I followed you around and shot you, but made sure you died instantly, does that
make it okay? Since I didn’t keep you in a cage or castrate you or pump you full of
antibiotics, can I wash my hands of your blood in good conscience? If I am sure to use all
of your parts and leave nothing to waste, does that give you comfort? And would it comfort
your family to know that used a bow and arrow to kind of even the playing field between us?
Now that’s bring up another issue: the idea that hunting is natural, or simply the circle
of life is nothing but an ungrounded, romantic notion. Unless you’re able to complete your
hunt and eat your kill without any weaponry, tools, or cooking, it’s not natural. And
looking at our biological hardware and aversion to biting into an animals hide and consuming
the raw flesh, blood, lymph, tendons and bones, it’s evident we weren’t meant for this.
This may seem to be an absurd visual, but it’s in these absurdities that we can better see
the reality of the situation. Choosing between factory farming and hunting is like me asking you,
“Would you like to be skinned with a rusty spork or filleted with a cheese grater?”
or “Would you like to try our specialty turd sandwich or moldy baguette?”
In all seriousness, the comparison between factory farming and hunting comes down to the fact that that for
the animal being hunted, that individual doesn’t know about the horrors that they didn’t have to endure,
they just know those that they did. We may be tempted to rank cruelty and to find the lesser
of all the evils but the reality is, we can eliminate all of the evils. Sure, hunting may be a little less horrific
than factory farming, but why must we choose which is worse when there’s a third option?
We don’t need animal products to survive and in fact thrive far better without them.
And hunting, or “humane” farming isn’t going to stop factory farming- it just adds
more lives to the death toll. Death is still death, murder is still murder.
So let's ditch the debate about which is worse and eliminate them both.
Now I’d love to hear your take on the matter. Do you think hunting is more ethical than
factory farming? And does it even matter? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
For more information on this topic and links to relevant articles and studies that I mentioned,
check out the blog post for this video linked in the video description below and in the iCard sidebar.
If you liked the video, be sure to give it a big thumbs up and share it around to bust
the myth. If you want to help support Bite Size Vegan so that I can continue to provide
high-quality educational videos, do check out either of the support links in the video
description below. You can give a one-time donation or receive perks and rewards for
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Now go live vegan, and I’ll see you soon.
What if I hold your hand and tell you it’s all going to be okay while I kill you. Does
that make it alright? What if I pay off your mortgage before I kill you? Is…is that okay?
What if I buy you a boat?
I promise I don’t normally sit around and list off ways to make murder justifiable...
...or do I?
Subtitles by the Amara.org community