Page 242 - How to Be a Conscious Eater - Making Food Choices That Are Good for You

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ON BECOMING

A HUMANE SOCIETY

he second lens we explore for making food choices
away from home is the extent to which a restaurant or
Tfood-service operation takes care of the animals in its
supply chain and the workers on its front lines.
ANIMALS

By now, many (if not most) fast food and fast casual chains
have gone cage-free with their eggs, but the welfare of ani-
mals raised for food is still a major sticking point. I’m talking
primarily about broiler chickens for direct consumption,
pork, and beef. For broiler chickens, a coalition of animal
rights groups has called for slower-growing breeds of chick-
ens, more room for them to move around, and better lighting.
What happens when birds take longer to grow? They’re better
off because their breasts are no longer so enlarged that their
legs can’t support their own weight. Unfortunately, though,
the environmental impact (land, water, fertilizer) is actually
higher for slower-growing breeds because they require more
feed. And it costs growers more, which they often pass on to
retailers and consumers. This all goes to the aforementioned
philosophy of meat eating: “First, less. Then, better.” If we all
start eating less chicken, this higher cost won’t be so much of
an issue.
As of 2019, well over 100 food companies, including dozens
of major chain restaurants and large food-service operations,
have signed on to the coalition’s animal welfare commitments

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