The ethics of what we eat

P.s I have an awesome friend. Yep. Well actually I have more than one, but I would like to give a shout out to my super gorgeous inspiring friend Amy for 2 things in particular. Firstly for opening my eyes up to the world of my local community library and also for being totally cool that I stole one of her books. So here I am thinking that libraries were only for 3 year old story telling times and for keeping newspaper archives. Apparently I am wrong. Apart from the fact that I get to use free internet, hire free DVD’s and get overwhelmed with the amount of books and research I can do, it is the most quietest place to feel inspired and get big chunks of my study done. Whoop! But what instigated glorifying my buddy today was this book. The Ethics of what we eat. Hold it right there and don’t freak! I am not about to start vegan preaching on your asses because newsflash, I eat meat! And also let me get one more thing straight.  And although I may be a fair way along my path than, I am still sooooooo not a hardcore angel when it comes to food, fitness, environmental awareness, sustainability, living chemically free and all things tree hugging. I have my own spectrum and keep developing in these areas over time.  However, this book is opening my eyes even wider than they were in regards to where our food comes from.

 

I am pretty obsessed with those crazy docos like Food inc, Food matters and anything exposing the secrets of something that we take for granted and consume mindlessly. Yes I do eat an abundance of fruit and vegetables and the majority of my food IS plant based. But I have asked myself some questions…..

‘Would I be ok with killing an animal?

‘Or to watch an animal be slaughtered and dissected into pieces for my consumption?’

‘Would I be able to see that animal alive, look it in the eye and then later be eating it for my dinner?’

Mmmmm, it’s a tough one.  We are so used to buying our meat or chicken chopped up, wrapped up and barely resembling anything that previously moved or had a heart beat. I don’t think most of us would like to associate that lil lamb that was running around in the paddock earlier with the lamb shanks that are currently in the slow cooker. Awkward.

So if we are not prepared to be involved with the process of getting our own food to our own plates, what gives us the right to eat it then? Why do we demand others provide it for us if we think it’s too gross to do it or see it done ourselves?

The Ethics of what we eat makes me challenge what I know, what I don’t know and also what most of us don’t WANT to know about the industry that produces and provides us with the food that we consume from our ‘free range’ eggs to our organic or pesticide covered apples.

I am not even half way through the book, but the sentence that I read today made me want to ask every one, maybe even myself for that matter a question that is similarly asked in the book……

‘Is it too hard to spend an extra 10c on each egg in the carton so a chicken can actually have a better life?’

 After all, we are prepared to spend $4.50 on a latte!