But, at least for factory farmed animals, I agree that “the existence of these animals can only result in suffering, the outcome where farms animals stop existing is desirable”.
I was merely extrapolating. Or do you think there are relevant differences between wild animals and domesticated ones, such that we could provide welfare, as it were, for wild animals (without them having to hunt/kill anything, I surmise is the implication), but not for domesticated ones? I mean, both of those scenarios are light-years away from feasibility, so I can only assume we’re talking about some in-principle difference. Are we?
I think there is a fundamental difference in wild animals and factory farmed animals—if factory farming were to stop, there would no longer be any factory farmed animals. They are created specifically for that purpose. One can’t provide welfare for factory farmed animals without stopping factory farming, and then there wouldn’t be any factory farmed animals.
Though, I suppose, one could raise animals in ideal welfare conditions and then painlessly kill them for food. I would be fine with that.
There’s something strange with your terms there… are you using “factory farmed” as a descriptor of… kinds (species, etc.) of animals? Or animals that happen to exist in conditions of factory farming? I am confused.
Factory farmed animals are animals that happen to exist in conditions of factory farming. And “factory farming” is meant to convey not just mass production, but also the present quality of farming with regard to animal welfare.
You said:
I was merely extrapolating. Or do you think there are relevant differences between wild animals and domesticated ones, such that we could provide welfare, as it were, for wild animals (without them having to hunt/kill anything, I surmise is the implication), but not for domesticated ones? I mean, both of those scenarios are light-years away from feasibility, so I can only assume we’re talking about some in-principle difference. Are we?
I think there is a fundamental difference in wild animals and factory farmed animals—if factory farming were to stop, there would no longer be any factory farmed animals. They are created specifically for that purpose. One can’t provide welfare for factory farmed animals without stopping factory farming, and then there wouldn’t be any factory farmed animals.
Though, I suppose, one could raise animals in ideal welfare conditions and then painlessly kill them for food. I would be fine with that.
There’s something strange with your terms there… are you using “factory farmed” as a descriptor of… kinds (species, etc.) of animals? Or animals that happen to exist in conditions of factory farming? I am confused.
Factory farmed animals are animals that happen to exist in conditions of factory farming. And “factory farming” is meant to convey not just mass production, but also the present quality of farming with regard to animal welfare.