Page 45 - Waterfall_Issue 7_2022

WHY THE STORY

OF THE MEAT YOU

EAT IS IMPORTANT

I t is hard to defend being

a meat eater to those who
graphically describe the
inhumane treatment animals
suffer on the way to your plate.

But all that falls away if the
animals have had a life worth
living and a humane end.

Justine Reardon’s remarkable story
of how she transformed herself from
a third generation fashion designer,
cutting and trimming material for
dressing Joburg’s young social set,
to cutting and trimming meat, has a
foundation in ethics and healthy living.

According to Justine, raising the bar
for the humane treatment of animals
in the food system began in 1965
PHOTO BY SVEN BRANDSMA
when Irish zoologist Francis Brambell
researched a basic set of standards
for all animals under human control. the difference when an animal was the negative but they do not promote
He recommended five freedoms. slaughtered whilst in a fit of adrenalin- the positive and it leads to animals
induced fear. The adrenalin changes surviving rather than thriving.
These are the Five Freedoms that the colour and smell of the meat and
have since been developed and it is much tougher,” says Justine. In line with this, Justine believes
adopted by organisations and that the suppliers to the Food
authorities in Europe and the USA: But the Five Freedoms are a problem. Club she is forming should be
• Freedom from hunger or thirst They lead to ‘humane washing’ moving toward providing animals
• Freedom from discomfort through the unethical practice of with a ‘life worth living’.
• Freedom from pain, injury or disease marketing with misleading claims.
• Freedom to express normal behaviour Their weakness is they are vague As the Humane League puts
• Freedom from fear and distress and open to interpretation. So while it, in addition to providing the
factory farms might provide the essentials they need to live, farms
These are not only good for the appropriate facilities, they barely that rear animals should do their
animals destined for the table, they consider the animals’ well-being. best to give animals positive
are good for the people consuming experiences during their lives.
the meat. “At the butchery where I The USA-based Humane League points
worked in Morningside, you could tell out that the Five Freedoms minimise It is a global movement and it is

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