Dark side of Marketing: Farm Animals
- Existential guilt:
o “The ultimate form of sin is existential guilt that is inseparable from human
existence – for example, we know that for our survival, we kill animals, eat plants,
and thus destroy their lives. But if we refrain from eating, this time we are actually
killing ourselves.” ~ James Hollis
Factory farming:
- Prioritising profit over animal welfare
- A method for human consumption with the aim of maximising production while minimising
costs
The ways factory farming contributes to the suffering and poor welfare of animals:
- Animals are often kept in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, leading to stress,
disease, and injuries
- Subjected to painful procedures like debeaking, tail docking, and castration without
anaesthesia
- Bred to grow at an unnatural rate, which can cause skeletal and cardiovascular issues
- Denies access to natural behaviour and environments leading to frustration and boredom
- The transportation and slaughter processes can be extremely stressful and inhumane
Excessive antibiotic usage:
- Antibiotics are often administered to animals in order to prevent outbreak of diseases or
to promote growth and weight gain
- This causes development of antibiotic resistant bacteria
- The bacteria spreads through contaminated food and water, posing threats to human and
animal health
Environmental problems caused by factory farming:
- Water pollution: Large quantities of animal waste are stored in lagoons or used as
fertilisers
- Greenhouse gas emissions: e.g. methane from livestock digestion
- Biodiversity loss and deforestation
Challenges for small local farms:
- Difficult competing in the market
- Pushed out of business by factory farms
- Consequences:
o Loss of agricultural diversity
o Decline in availability of locally produced food
Solutions:
Going vegan:
- Reduces demand for animal products leading to decreased breeding and suffering of
animals
- 2024: there are around 2.5 million vegans in UK
- Number of UK vegans has raised by 1.1m between 2023 and 2024
Could going vegan go wrong:
- Socio-economic implications:
- Existential guilt:
o “The ultimate form of sin is existential guilt that is inseparable from human
existence – for example, we know that for our survival, we kill animals, eat plants,
and thus destroy their lives. But if we refrain from eating, this time we are actually
killing ourselves.” ~ James Hollis
Factory farming:
- Prioritising profit over animal welfare
- A method for human consumption with the aim of maximising production while minimising
costs
The ways factory farming contributes to the suffering and poor welfare of animals:
- Animals are often kept in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, leading to stress,
disease, and injuries
- Subjected to painful procedures like debeaking, tail docking, and castration without
anaesthesia
- Bred to grow at an unnatural rate, which can cause skeletal and cardiovascular issues
- Denies access to natural behaviour and environments leading to frustration and boredom
- The transportation and slaughter processes can be extremely stressful and inhumane
Excessive antibiotic usage:
- Antibiotics are often administered to animals in order to prevent outbreak of diseases or
to promote growth and weight gain
- This causes development of antibiotic resistant bacteria
- The bacteria spreads through contaminated food and water, posing threats to human and
animal health
Environmental problems caused by factory farming:
- Water pollution: Large quantities of animal waste are stored in lagoons or used as
fertilisers
- Greenhouse gas emissions: e.g. methane from livestock digestion
- Biodiversity loss and deforestation
Challenges for small local farms:
- Difficult competing in the market
- Pushed out of business by factory farms
- Consequences:
o Loss of agricultural diversity
o Decline in availability of locally produced food
Solutions:
Going vegan:
- Reduces demand for animal products leading to decreased breeding and suffering of
animals
- 2024: there are around 2.5 million vegans in UK
- Number of UK vegans has raised by 1.1m between 2023 and 2024
Could going vegan go wrong:
- Socio-economic implications:
