Money & Greed v Decency & Kindness

I caught a bit of 'Countryfile' on BBC 1 last night. As always I was very moved by the way Adam Henson the programme's agricultural adviser/resident farmer, treats his animals. He earns his living through farming and raising animals for food, but whilst they are under his care they have the best life he can offer them. Part of that deal is taking the animals he has nurtured to slaughter.

Last night he took some pigs and a two year old steer to a local slaughter house, it was their time. He spoke about treating the animals with care and kindness and reducing their stress and anxiety levels.

I had just heard that Australia has suspended exports of live animals to Egypt because of terrible abuses of sheep in a Cairo slaughterhouse. This is one issue that makes me see RED. 

This type of unnecessary animal cruelty is not restricted to Egyptian slaughter houses. Oman, Kuwait and Africa have awful track records for animal cruelty. The terrible things that are done to these poor animals before they are dispatched is sickening.

I support CIWF with a small donation every month and I always try and help them with their campaigns aimed at reducing the suffering of animals. They alert me to things that are going in our own country too. We can all do something.

I'm also very careful about the meat I buy. For example I only buy British pork and bacon, because we seem to take more care of the pigs in this country. Sow stalls are illegal in Britain and Sweden and should be throughout the EU from this year.

Of course the proper implementation of animal welfare law is the key, as so often farmers in other countries do as they please without fear of prosecution.

It is up to us to investigate what we eat and ask for clear food labelling and higher welfare for our farmed animals.

There will always be people who will buy the cheapest meat they can regardless of how the animals have been kept or treated, saying they can only afford meat if it is really cheap. Absolute crap! We all make choices about where we spend our money, it just depends on what our priorities are.

Most of us eat too much anyway we just need to be more circumspect about what we eat.

Do you remember when it used to be acceptable to eat eggs from battery hens. Not anymore!
The public asked for free range eggs and let me tell you they can now be bought for as little as 98p per half dozen in Lidl.

Consumers have to unite and put an end to cruel animal husbandry. Let's see decency and kindness triumph over greed.