And the egg industry kills off the male chicks by throwing them into barrels and letting the weight of those on top suffocate those beneath. Who's ready to stop eating eggs?
I truly believe that environmental and animal cruelty reasons are plenty to become a vegetarian. Speaking for myself, it's only laziness on my part that I still eat meat.
BigAgra is disgusting. This is also why we have so many issues which stem from our food supply too. Unhealthy animals leads to unhealthy humans. The interesting thing is that kosher attempts to take as much of the cruelty out of raising animals for food as possible. I don't think that we will ever be able to eliminate all the cruelty unless we go vegan, which is not healthy no matter what vegans say. So it is a terrible give and take. But there is no reason for such barbarity as displayed in this South African farm or even how animals are treated worldwide for food in general. (see under veal and what they do to the baby cows )
The thing about kosher is that while it relates to how the animal is slaughtered, it doesn't say anything about the conditions in which the animal is raised, or about how the workers processing the animals are treated. Many people have tried to talk to kashrut certification agencies about this before, but they are quite clear they see delving into animal cruelty and workers' rights is beyond their mandate.
that is very interesting. So as long as you kill the animal a certain way you are righteous, but if you abuse and mistreat the animal while its alive, and harm the people that work for you it doesn't matter. The disconnect is profound. maybe the rabbis ought to rethink this one a little more. Maybe its time not to be so cowardly.
Let me just add from the perspective of the Kashrut agencies it really is a problem (I’ve tried to advocate for this so I’m familiar. . .). Take for example treatment of workers. Let’s say the kashrut agency decides that workers ought to at least be treated according to the law, in terms of pay, safety, time off, and so on. The problem then becomes that the Rabbis certifying kashrut turn themselves into essentially government inspectors, trying to do a better job than the government itself policing government rules, but without the government’s resources or authority. If the kashrut agency sets its own standards for worker treatment, there are also problems. Does the Torah really give us detailed instructions on how to treat workers in a modern meat packing facility in a way the government doesn’t? How would Rabbis agree what such standards should be, and why would Rabbis do a better job of setting labor standards than the government’s department of labor?
You might be interested in Tav hayosher, which in spite of these problems tries to include workers’ rights in certification of the restaurant industry. You can check them out here: https://utzedek.org/tav-hayosher/
I dont think you need the government to tell you how to treat people or how to run businesses. Jews have lived for thousands of years with laws on how to treat people, run a business and even what constitutes kindness, generosity and humanity. Applying those to modern day is where you would need to begin. It doesn't matter if its a meat packing plant. There was no electricity or modern conveniences in the times of the Torah but somehow the laws have been adapted to meet modern realities for all holidays and how we are to use these products. There seems to me that the same can happen in modern Agrabusiness. I think its a copout not to do it. Laziness and hypocrisy.
And the egg industry kills off the male chicks by throwing them into barrels and letting the weight of those on top suffocate those beneath. Who's ready to stop eating eggs?
I truly believe that environmental and animal cruelty reasons are plenty to become a vegetarian. Speaking for myself, it's only laziness on my part that I still eat meat.
Even if they are organic? Seriously. We buy organic eggs or free range, because it is supposed to be less cruel.
Less cruel to the females but all the hatched males are killed brutally. After all, they don't grow up to lay eggs
Humans really suck.
BigAgra is disgusting. This is also why we have so many issues which stem from our food supply too. Unhealthy animals leads to unhealthy humans. The interesting thing is that kosher attempts to take as much of the cruelty out of raising animals for food as possible. I don't think that we will ever be able to eliminate all the cruelty unless we go vegan, which is not healthy no matter what vegans say. So it is a terrible give and take. But there is no reason for such barbarity as displayed in this South African farm or even how animals are treated worldwide for food in general. (see under veal and what they do to the baby cows )
The thing about kosher is that while it relates to how the animal is slaughtered, it doesn't say anything about the conditions in which the animal is raised, or about how the workers processing the animals are treated. Many people have tried to talk to kashrut certification agencies about this before, but they are quite clear they see delving into animal cruelty and workers' rights is beyond their mandate.
Unfortunately true
that is very interesting. So as long as you kill the animal a certain way you are righteous, but if you abuse and mistreat the animal while its alive, and harm the people that work for you it doesn't matter. The disconnect is profound. maybe the rabbis ought to rethink this one a little more. Maybe its time not to be so cowardly.
Let me just add from the perspective of the Kashrut agencies it really is a problem (I’ve tried to advocate for this so I’m familiar. . .). Take for example treatment of workers. Let’s say the kashrut agency decides that workers ought to at least be treated according to the law, in terms of pay, safety, time off, and so on. The problem then becomes that the Rabbis certifying kashrut turn themselves into essentially government inspectors, trying to do a better job than the government itself policing government rules, but without the government’s resources or authority. If the kashrut agency sets its own standards for worker treatment, there are also problems. Does the Torah really give us detailed instructions on how to treat workers in a modern meat packing facility in a way the government doesn’t? How would Rabbis agree what such standards should be, and why would Rabbis do a better job of setting labor standards than the government’s department of labor?
You might be interested in Tav hayosher, which in spite of these problems tries to include workers’ rights in certification of the restaurant industry. You can check them out here: https://utzedek.org/tav-hayosher/
I dont think you need the government to tell you how to treat people or how to run businesses. Jews have lived for thousands of years with laws on how to treat people, run a business and even what constitutes kindness, generosity and humanity. Applying those to modern day is where you would need to begin. It doesn't matter if its a meat packing plant. There was no electricity or modern conveniences in the times of the Torah but somehow the laws have been adapted to meet modern realities for all holidays and how we are to use these products. There seems to me that the same can happen in modern Agrabusiness. I think its a copout not to do it. Laziness and hypocrisy.