It shouldn't be the consumer's responsibility to figure out what's cruel and what's kind, what's environmentally destructive and what's sustainable. Cruel and destructive food products should be illegal. We don't need the option of buying children's toys made with lead paint, or aerosols with chlorofluorocarbons, or medicines with unlabeled side effects. And we don't need the option of buying factory-farmed animals.
In "Eating Animals," Jonathan Safran Foer emphasizes that consumers should not bear the burden of distinguishing between cruel and kind products, or between environmentally harmful and sustainable options. He argues that it is unreasonable for individuals to navigate such complexities, suggesting that companies should be held accountable for their practices. Products that are harmful to animals or the environment should not even be available in the market.
Foer likens the issue to other safety regulations, stating that just as society prohibits dangerous items like lead paint or harmful aerosols, it should also ban factory-farmed animals. This perspective calls for a more proactive approach to ensure that consumers can make ethical and safe choices without the burden of deciphering which products are acceptable.
