To the editor:

I attended the “Eating Organic” event at Liberty Hall last week and was amazed by the large turnout of people who want to see positive changes to our food supply.

However, I want to comment on a new trend promoted at this event that I find disturbing; “humane meat, dairy and eggs.” Unfortunately, there is no such thing, because anytime a farm animal is being used by humans, suffering is inevitable. Just removing them from the metal buildings for their 6 to 12 months of life on the “free-range” or “organic” farm, does not alleviate the immense suffering they endure through transport and slaughter. Even large organic dairy farms still tear baby calves away from their mothers within 48 hours so her milk can go to humans instead of her baby. How can any of this be considered “humane”?

It’s admirable that people are allowing themselves to understand the horrors of factory farming and are demanding change, but we are forgetting what put our world in this mess in the first place: a human population spiraling out of control demanding cheap animal products. So while organic, “humane” meat, dairy and eggs may seem like the answer now, an animal-based diet will never be a long-term sustainable solution for feeding billions of people on our planet.

Sadly, no matter how good the intentions are of many kindhearted people and farmers, they will never be able to keep up with the demand and keep their products “humane.”

Ann Wilson,

Lawrence