David Cassuto
This is a very interesting piece by Stephanie Ernst. She argues that the crusade against factory farming undermines the larger animal rights movement by creating safe rationalizations for the consumption of local, “humanely raised” animal products.
Here’s a little taste:
It’s time for the vegan/animal rights movement to stop battling factory farming. And by that, of course, I mean that it’s time to stop presenting factory farming as the enemy, as the sole problem, when the problem is not confined to factory farming. Why? Because it isn’t working. And I’m tired of reading articles like the one published in yesterday’s New York Press, about how hip it is now for vegans and vegetarians to go back to eating animals, now that they can get “humane,” local, feel-good flesh and animal products; about how there’s no need to stop eating animals if you’re not eating “factory-farmed” animals; about how even vegan and vegetarian restaurateurs think they need to add flesh to their menus.
This is crap, people. Scary, disturbing crap. And the animal rights movement is contributing to it. We’re at a fork in the road, and it’s time for us to shift strategy and change course. Now.
Both the post itself and the long, lucid stream of comments are well worth the peruse.
Filed under: animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal rights, animal welfare, diet, factory farms, veganism | Tagged: animal abuse, animal advocacy, animal cruelty, animal ethics, animal law, animal rights, animal suffering, animal welfare, CAFOS, factory farms, farmed animals, industrial farming, Stephanie Ernst, veganism, vegetarianism |
Animal Blawg 
David, Thanks so much for sharing this. This was one of the best discussions I’ve read in awhile. Clear, concise, and without too much name calling.
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by pacelawlibrary: AnimalBlawg Go Here, Read This http://bit.ly/5gGRCJ…
[…] Stephanie Ernst has a post up arguing that the AR movement needs to stop focusing on factory farming (h/t animalblawg). […]
I commented on Stephanie’s post, but I wanted to put my question I had for her on here: Is it better to try and convey the whole message of animal exploitation when that will not achieve many converts, or to focus on part of the message (factory farms) when that may win over some new vegetarians, even if they miss the point?
No answer to that, of course. It’s what we debate here, in an animal law class, and even in the idea of better laws of animals, since most change in the law still involves ownership.
I agree, a very worthy post. And I contributed a few comments as well. I only wish to reiterate here that exposing people to factory farms in not necessarily a bad thing – As long as the message of veganism and animal rights is the main thrust in the end.
For me, telling people about factory farms is just a door opener to expose the deepest problem. And that the solution to animal “suffering” is to end animal “use”. There is no “half”, “happy” other way.