Ethical Question
Is it wrong to purchase animal products that come from animals raised on factory farms?
Introduction
In the current world, ethical concerns surrounding what we eat are on the increase. It is a well-known fact that a healthy diet is essential and crucial in preventing diseases such as diabetes and heart diseases (Mosser, 2014). However, apart from health issues related to food, there are also ethical issues surrounding food. Consumption of animal products derived from animals that are reared in factory farms is one of the ethical issues surrounding food. How food is produced and if it makes the animals involved go through cruel experiences and pain is one of the ethical concerns that arise. Should people care if the food they eat is produced from animals that have experienced pain and suffering? There are individuals who care how food is produced while there is another groups that eats ignoring the production processes and activities involved based on different perspectives.
Factory farming is a type of farming that involves rearing animals for consumption purposes in highly populated environments which are commonly known as concentrated animal feeding operations (Mosser, 2014). In such environments, animals such as pigs are packed in small crates such that they cannot even move while hens are concentrated in cages placed on top of each other in big buildings. Cows on the other hand are raised in feedlots instead of the usual grass pastures. Factory farming developed because of competition between companies to produce products such as meat and milk at a lower cost (Anomaly, 2014). The practice has reduced the cost of animal protein especially for the low and middle class clients. However, there are a number of moral factors that philosophers argue are not considered when pursuing costs interests.
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Position Statement
It is morally wrong to consume animal products derived from animals grown on factory farms.
Reasons in Support of your Position
Animals that can experience pain and frustration possess interests that should be protected even when they come into conflict with those of human beings. Animals grown on factory farms are subjected to unacceptable levels pain and a lot of cruelty in order to meet the interests of human beings. Chicken for example are injected with drugs to fatten them to an extent that they cannot stand and their beaks removed (Anomaly, 2014). From a utilitarian point of view, it is morally wrong to rear animals on a farm factory. Utilitarianism judges the morality of an action based on its consequences (Mosser, 2014). In this case, producing animals on factory farms causes them pain and suffering. It is selfish and being insensitive for human beings to inflict suffering on other living creatures despite the fact they are considered lesser than human beings. Human beings have a duty to take care of creation.
Opposing Position Statement
It is right to consume animal products from animals grown on factory farms regardless of the conditions involved in growing them.
Reasons in Support of the Opposing Position
Animals do not have a moral status (Hsiao, 2017). Therefore, inflicting pain whether necessary or unnecessary is has no moral standing. Because animals do not have a moral status, there is no wrong in eating meat even if it is produced in factory farms. According to Hsiao (2017), consuming an animal is the same as picking a flower from a garden and therefore despite the fact that animals suffer pain just like it is physically bad, animals’ experience is not morally wrong.
References
Anomaly, J. (2014). Whats Wrong with Factory Farming? Public Health Ethics , 8 (3), 246–254. doi: 10.1093/phe/phu001
Mosser, K. (2014). Understanding Philosophy: Chapter 6 . Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUPHI208.14.2/sections/fm
Hsiao, T. (2017). Industrial Farming is Not Cruel to Animals. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics , 30 (1), 37–54. doi: 10.1007/s10806-017-9652-0
