Susan9608
Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2004
- Posts
- 3,342
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2004
- Messages
- 3,342
In another thread, someone raised an issue regarding the farming of grain crops. I don't remember who it was that actually brought up the topic or how exactly it was phrased, but I believe it was something along the lines of a vegetarian diet results in the death of many small animals due to crop farming.
I looked at the links provided to me on this topic, thought about the issue, and consulted a number of pro-vegetarian/animal rights groups about this topic. Here's what I have to say about it -
Vegetarianism and the reliance on grain that it involves do not actually account for a great percentage of animal deaths caused by mechanized harvesting. The fact is that humans’ consumption of meat is responsible for the vast majority of animals killed when humans harvest grain. Currently, more than half our domestic grain is fed to farmed animals. Far less grain would feed many more humans than the meat that it now goes to produce--cows must consume 16 pounds of vegetation in order to convert them into 1 pound of flesh.
If we did not raise so many animals for human consumption, then we would need far less crops, which would, in turn, decrease the number of small animals killed as a result of crop farming.
I don't condone the killing of any animal for human benefit; however, in an imperfect world, there often exists no truly *good* choice ... only a choice between a terrible wrong and a lesser wrong. I choose the lesser wrong in favor of a greater good ... and if being a vegetarian depsite the fact that small animals are killed in the process of crop farming makes me a hypocrite, then so be it.
I looked at the links provided to me on this topic, thought about the issue, and consulted a number of pro-vegetarian/animal rights groups about this topic. Here's what I have to say about it -
Vegetarianism and the reliance on grain that it involves do not actually account for a great percentage of animal deaths caused by mechanized harvesting. The fact is that humans’ consumption of meat is responsible for the vast majority of animals killed when humans harvest grain. Currently, more than half our domestic grain is fed to farmed animals. Far less grain would feed many more humans than the meat that it now goes to produce--cows must consume 16 pounds of vegetation in order to convert them into 1 pound of flesh.
If we did not raise so many animals for human consumption, then we would need far less crops, which would, in turn, decrease the number of small animals killed as a result of crop farming.
I don't condone the killing of any animal for human benefit; however, in an imperfect world, there often exists no truly *good* choice ... only a choice between a terrible wrong and a lesser wrong. I choose the lesser wrong in favor of a greater good ... and if being a vegetarian depsite the fact that small animals are killed in the process of crop farming makes me a hypocrite, then so be it.