Since humans have evolved advanced intelligence, we have a higher moral calling. That is why I don't buy the "it's just the food chain" arguments. It is our moral responsibility to treat the animals we consume in a humane way.
The other side of the coin is that we could not support such a large population without cost-effective ranching techniques. This has increased the carrying-capacity of the earth. From a strictly scientific perspective, many people owe their life to the industrial food system.
I found this kind of funny, it came from a Professor at UH (rough quote): "From an evolutionary perspective, humans are the best thing that ever happened to cows".
|