I guess I understand, even if in my view the fight against consumerism and (the linked) productivism seem to be more effective. But I live in a place where ethical rising is turning into a norm, while industrial farming is regarded as a very low quality ; and may it shapes my point of view…
Totally fair. What do you think has helped ethical raising be the norm most in your area? I’d love that here, at least near the towns. I am in the center of conventional crop land and some graizing
Also it had started prior to that, the “mad cow” has been a huge trigger here. Not only it has forced to reconsider the things done by industrial farms (like “may it is not nice to feed cows with flour made of dead animals”) ; but also it has pushed consumers to avoid low cost meat and accept to pay more for some secure meat from good farms. Without big surprises, when the focus is made on quality rather than on cost reduction, the quality is better. That made more demand for both quality and safety, and so for better farming. In the same time, farmers were also willing to go for better practices, for many of them ; industrial practice were reducing their land’s quality, they could not be proud of their doing, and the cost reduction logic was also pushing on their selling prices making it hard for them to make a living of their production. So both producers and consumers easily agreed to rise quality even if it rises prices.
Low quality at low price still exists here, but some even try to pretend to do not be that low thanks to “quality labels”…
Yet if you ask to those meat eaters who claim they really love meat, most will also tell you they even prefer hunt animal’s meat. And it should soon be obvious for them that the fact an animal had a real life (eat its natural food, at will but without excess, and has a natural space to evolve in, with enough space) makes a better quality of meat. Most of them should easily admit that they do not really want to eat bad quality meat, especially not with health risks for themselves. The fact that it makes agriculture substainable for future generations, that it may rise their pride at supporting good and local farmers, and that it is better on a moral point of view are just bonus on top of it.
More recently, it became clear that we (european) eat too much meat for our health. It increased the desire to reduce the quantity and rise again the quality. The trend is at trying to find producers selling directly to consumers, to pay farmers more while not paying supermarkets margin, but also because so we can see the farm. The idea being that if we prefer to eat the products of those farmer proud of their practices.
Also, if we accept to live in little homes, to move to few, and to eat whatever cheap premade food home delivered, would we not be putting ourself in living conditions weirdly similar to animals in industrial farms? Not yet the exact same, sure, ours is still far better… but I think we should consider respecting ourself better than we actually do, to be less productive, less cost effective, and to give more time to our needs of walking in natural environments, and preparing real food from scratch.
I guess I understand, even if in my view the fight against consumerism and (the linked) productivism seem to be more effective. But I live in a place where ethical rising is turning into a norm, while industrial farming is regarded as a very low quality ; and may it shapes my point of view…
Totally fair. What do you think has helped ethical raising be the norm most in your area? I’d love that here, at least near the towns. I am in the center of conventional crop land and some graizing
Also it had started prior to that, the “mad cow” has been a huge trigger here. Not only it has forced to reconsider the things done by industrial farms (like “may it is not nice to feed cows with flour made of dead animals”) ; but also it has pushed consumers to avoid low cost meat and accept to pay more for some secure meat from good farms. Without big surprises, when the focus is made on quality rather than on cost reduction, the quality is better. That made more demand for both quality and safety, and so for better farming. In the same time, farmers were also willing to go for better practices, for many of them ; industrial practice were reducing their land’s quality, they could not be proud of their doing, and the cost reduction logic was also pushing on their selling prices making it hard for them to make a living of their production. So both producers and consumers easily agreed to rise quality even if it rises prices.
Low quality at low price still exists here, but some even try to pretend to do not be that low thanks to “quality labels”…
Yet if you ask to those meat eaters who claim they really love meat, most will also tell you they even prefer hunt animal’s meat. And it should soon be obvious for them that the fact an animal had a real life (eat its natural food, at will but without excess, and has a natural space to evolve in, with enough space) makes a better quality of meat. Most of them should easily admit that they do not really want to eat bad quality meat, especially not with health risks for themselves. The fact that it makes agriculture substainable for future generations, that it may rise their pride at supporting good and local farmers, and that it is better on a moral point of view are just bonus on top of it.
More recently, it became clear that we (european) eat too much meat for our health. It increased the desire to reduce the quantity and rise again the quality. The trend is at trying to find producers selling directly to consumers, to pay farmers more while not paying supermarkets margin, but also because so we can see the farm. The idea being that if we prefer to eat the products of those farmer proud of their practices.
Also, if we accept to live in little homes, to move to few, and to eat whatever cheap premade food home delivered, would we not be putting ourself in living conditions weirdly similar to animals in industrial farms? Not yet the exact same, sure, ours is still far better… but I think we should consider respecting ourself better than we actually do, to be less productive, less cost effective, and to give more time to our needs of walking in natural environments, and preparing real food from scratch.