Eating Animals is a examination of the factory farming industry in the States and the effect on personal eating habits that knowledge of the practices of this industry might have on an individual. Foer began research into the meat industry following the birth of his son as he struggled to determine what the most ethical food choice would be for his family. He clearly read at length on the issue, interviewed factory farm workers, activists and family farmers, and visited farms and slaughter houses. He explores all the possible concerns with the industry (animal welfare, environmental, health, etc.) and also presents the process of meat production at some times graphic lengths. Foer reveals in the opening chapters of the book that he is a vegetarian so you can guess where he is going.
So off the bat some disclosure for any who don't know me in reality. Much like I don't recall a time before I wanted to spend time in London, I can't recall a time when I wasn't passionate about the environment- it was definitely prior to high school but I'm not sure how much earlier- nor can I recall what sparked the passion. I do remember when I got into animal welfare issues, I was in year 7 and I read about the animal testing methods being used by companies such as Procter and Gamble (to this day I do not buy their products knowingly- there are so many brands under the umbrella that they can be hard to avoid but I avoid the ones I know- so much so that the smell of Pringles, which I've never eaten, makes me a bit sick). When I was 15, I decided to bite the bullet and declared to my parents that I was embracing vegetarianism- ultimately my mother and I compromised and I just give up red meat. In the last 13 years I have only eaten red meat on four occasions- two by accident, once for a week whilst away with friends three years ago, and once at last New Year's- the latter two to make it easier for people and in all cases I've felt quite sick after the red meat eating. My distance from red meat is so complete that the smell of a butcher shop makes me feel mildly nauseated and has done for about 10 years. I gave up farm salmon 6 years ago, non-free range poultry 4 years ago, and nowadays I usually only eat white meat once a month, if that. I try not to buy leather products, buy soup with animal based stocks in it, cheese with animal based rennet, etc, etc. On the opposite end of the spectrum I also come from a long line of farmers on my father's side of the family.
Disclosure over. This book could be one of the most important and accessible works published on the issue of factory farming. The prose is easy to read, the language isn't over intellectual and the tone, unlike many books and articles on this issue, is not at all forciful or judgemental. Foer concludes that vegetarianism is the most logical response to the horror of factory farming but he does not judge the meat eater or order people to change their food choice. Foer advocates wise, ethical and informed food choice but does not force anyone- his tone when speaking of PETA and other organisations' extreme forcefulness on the matter of veganism shows that he does not agree with that kind of forced conversion at all. He speaks with admiration of several of the family farmers he meets and does not judge them- in fact he applauds them (especially one turkey farmer) for their attempts to ethically keep their animals. The stories of slaughter and animal welfare in the factory farms are sickening at points but neccessarily so. These sections of the book made me profoundly angry, profoundly sad and profoundly ill. The descriptions of an aged cow from a petting zoo licking the face of a slaughter house owner before death and the treatment of pregnant pigs in factory farms both nearly brought me to tears- on both occasions on public transport. Factory farming has to be one of the largest autrocities that the civilised world not just allows but then turns its back on and pretends isn't happening. After one particularly horrible section I rang my father to confirm that I was correct in my belief that our family had never been involved in factory farming and the tone of his voice when he replied showed the similar attitude of disgust to that expressed by the family farmers that Foer interviews in the book when talking about factory farming (our family has farmed wheat, cattle and sheep, and has never (to my father's knowledge) been involved in factory farming). This book is telling the story of factory farming in the States and there are few (if any) countries in the world have a larger market share of meat that comes from factory farms. In Australia the percentage of meat from factory farms is much smaller and the poultry industry is better regulated (as far as I know). That said poultry and pork in Australia is still predominately from factory farms and any Australian salmon sold in supermarkets is. After reading this book I'm giving up poultry and seafood becoming a proper vegetarian- not becoming a vegan as soya/rice based milk tend to make me sick but will be continuing to buy organic vegetarian cheese, organic milk and free range RSPCA endorsed eggs (Foer states in the book that organic and free range are both uncertain terms and this is true but the dairy industry is Australia is much less factory based than in the States, organic does normally mean better treatment for cattle (Foer acknowledges this) and the RSPCA is normally pretty strict on their welfare standard so I trust their recommendation on eggs).
Foer talks at length about the effects of food and food culture on social structure, social decisions and social stories. As Foer correctly states food choices do easily influence others (e.g. my ceasing to red meat food did cut the number of meals involving it for not just me but my whole immediate family when I lived at home; my changing to free range poultry only meant the family switched to free range, organic turkey for Christmas; and often at social events where food is shared my being a "vegetarian" (in loose sense of the word) has meant that one or more vegetarian dishes are ordered in place of meat ones), food is at the centre of community life. Unlike many other issues it is almost true that one person's choice can start to change the choices of many as Foer puts it "We eat as sons and daughters, as families, as communities, as generations, as nations, and increasingly as a globe. We can't stop eating from radiating influence even if we want to". Like Foer I wouldn't want to force anyone to embrace vegetarianism but I do think that this book is a must read and I will likely be forcing people to read it in the near future.
If you want to hear the talk Foer gave at the Opera House, video of it is available online at http://play.sydneyoperahouse.com/index.php/media/1486-jonathan-safran-foer-fodi-2011.html?catid=&field_name= - I recommend you check it out.
On to my next book, God of Small Things.....
No comments:
Post a Comment