See All-Creatures.org Health Position and Disclaimer
Will we return to business as usual or will covid-19 force a reexamination of how we share this planet with the other millions of forms of life?
Although we are still in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic and it is
unknown when it will cease being a threat, it is not too early to think
about a post-pandemic world. What changes in policies and practices will
result from this tragic experience? Will we return to business as usual or
will covid-19 force a reexamination of how we share this planet with the
other millions of forms of life?
One possible change is in the current form of production of protein for
human consumption -- factory farming. Two prominent thinkers with access to
the mainstream media, Fareed Zakaria and Jonathan Safran Foer, both make the
case that the conditions inherent in factory farming make the future
transmission of diseases from animals to humans (zoonosis) inescapable. See
Fareed Zakaria, "The real scandal isn’t what China did to us. It’s what we
did to ourselves," Washington Post and Jonathan Safran Foer.
“Meat is not
essential. Why are we killing for it?" Washington Post.
Although one cannot overstate the enormity of the human suffering resulting
from the pandemic, even this global cloud may have its silver lining. (It is
important to note that animals are suffering as well as the closing and
downsizing of meat processing plants have forced farmers to slaughter
hundreds of thousands of animals. See "With Closure of Meat Plants, Pig
Farmers Face a Wrenching Task.," New York Times, May 15).
While only emerging as the dominant form of production since World War II, factory farming has had major impact on domesticated and wild animals alike, as habitat for the latter has shrunk with use of arable land to feed the former.
It may be that at least in the medium term a number of developments will combine to make its history a brief one:
Return to Food Hazards in Animal Flesh and By-products
Read more at Vegan Health Articles
Read more at
COVID-19/Coronavirus Articles Directory
We began this archive as a means of assisting our visitors in answering many of their health and diet questions, and in encouraging them to take a pro-active part in their own health. We believe the articles and information contained herein are true, but are not presenting them as advice. We, personally, have found that a whole food vegan diet has helped our own health, and simply wish to share with others the things we have found. Each of us must make our own decisions, for it's our own body. If you have a health problem, see your own physician.