Question

For the sake of efficiency and lower costs, Premium Standard Farms of Princeton, Missouri has turned pig production into a standardized product-focused process. Slaughterhouses have done this for a hundred years—but after the animal was dead. Doing it while the animal is alive is a relatively recent innovation.

Here is how it works. Impregnated female sows wait for 40 days in metal stalls so small that they cannot turn around. After an ultrasound test, they wait 67 days in a similar stall until they give birth. Two weeks after delivering 10 or 11 piglets, the sows are moved back to breeding rooms for another cycle. After 3 years, the sow is slaughtered. Animal-welfare advocates say such confinement drives pigs crazy. Premium Standard replies that its hogs are in fact comfortable, arguing that only 1% die before Premium Standard wants them to and that their system helps reduce the cost of pork products.

Discuss the productivity and ethical implications of this industry and these two divergent opinions.

Answer 1

There are two point of views on this matter. One is with the focus on productivity and the other with focus on ethics. Let’s discuss them one by one.

In case of productivity, Premium Standard is correct in their approach. They have followed a very capitalistic approach that has given USA success over the years and focused on productivity, output, profit and overall contribution to the economy. If we consider free range hogs, they would require large areas to farm. This would come with real estate cost, maintenance cost and other overheads that would increase the price of pork multifold. This in turn would impact the meat industry and overall impact could be felt on USA food industry and economy. The focus on productivity allow Premium Standard to lower their prices and stay competitive. At the same time it allows them to keep providing low cost meat which is a popular source of protein for most people in the country.

Now, if we shift the focus to ethical views, then we can see that this is not a regular product assembly line operation that we are dealing with. In case of manufacturing of goods, electronics, etc. it is alright to focus on efficiency and productivity. However, we are dealing with living organisms that feel pain, emotions (to a certain degree), has intelligence and can be a social creature in the wild. Thus, the treatment of keeping them confined is not right. Statistically, we can establish that they are physically healthy (with only 1% dying before the time). However, their mental situation is likely something else. This provides for introspection on how we deal with our food and how we treat animals who cannot help themselves. Thus the ethically this treatment is wrong.

The question boils down to one thing, which is more important? The food industry and the economical stand of the country or the ethical stand of the animals. Different people may have a different view but finding common ground between the two will likely be impossible.