MEET+YOUR+MEAT

[|"Meet the Meat" click to view video] "Meet the Meat"

Brittney Nicholls n8867330 Tutor: Abbey Diaz

__ARTEFACT __ In a moving narration ‘Meet Your Meat’ actor and activist Alec Baldwin exposes the truth behind humanity’s cruellest and most brutal invention factory farming. This 2002 short film documentary is a moving narration, created by People from the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), narrated by worldwide actor Alex Baldwin, and directed by Bruce Friedrich and Cem Akin. The documentary explores the treatment of animals in modern animal agriculture also known as factory farming (PETA, 2002). Even though the film runs only 12 minutes long the brief and horrific glimpse behind the walls of slaughterhouses, factory farms and live-animal transport sends shivers down your spine.

__PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE __ Billions of farm animals are viciously killed for their flesh every year and others spend almost their entire lives confined to filthy, cramped conditions, where they are forced to produce endless numbers of eggs or gallons of milk. This video is only a few minutes long, but most animals endure abuse like this for their entire lives. The film documents numerous instances of cruelty to animals, which include egg-laying hens which live in crowded cages, six or seven hens to one battery cage the size of a file drawer. Another instance included is cattle are castrated, their horns are ripped off, and third-degree burns are inflicted on them, all without anesthetic. Cows used for their milk have their babies removed from them shortly after birth, of these calves they are sent to veal farms. Mother pigs (sows) are confined to gestation crates that are so small that the pigs cannot turn around or even lie down (PETA, 2002). Factory farmed animals are treated like commodities in a production line which is never ending. As Australia stating themselves a country of pet lovers, Australia prides themselves on the love and care of our pets. When did the Australian community stop caring about the general treatment of other animals?

__LITERATURE REVIEW __ Today, dreadfully hardly any animals roam freely on traditional farms. Worldwide, about 70 billion farm animals are now reared for food each year (Organic Consumer Association, 2011). Most animals produced for food in Australia suffer behind the closed doors of large industrial facilities known as factory farms. The way in which these animals are housed and cared for is mandated under each individual State and Territory government under the 'Animal Welfare Act' (Department of Agriculture, 2013). They are treated like commodities in a production line and their pain and distress is disregarded in the pursuit of profit. Factory farming causes the most suffering to the largest number of animals in Australia, more than 500 million every year (Meat Free Weak, 2012). They have no voice, cannot defend themselves and are legally classified as 'property'. Even though the artefact is American the serious legal inhumane is evident through Australian culture which includes:

__Mistreatment to chickens: __ In the short PETA documentary the issue of chickens being crammed into small cages roughly half a billion chickens are killed for their flesh in Australia every year (Animal's Unleashed, 2013). The majority are crammed into, where they are unable to behaviour in natural behaviours. Birds are selectively bred to produce much, at 5-7 weeks of age the survivors are and shoved into cages to be trucked to slaughter (Animal's Unleashed , 2013). In Australia, around 12 million hens are locked in with up to 5 other birds as shown on the documentary. On battery farms, ‘barn laid’ farms, and even some ‘free-range’ farms birds have with a hot blade, the painful procedure is done without pain relief (Animal's Unleashed, 2013).

__Mistreatment to cattle: __ There are approximately 29 million cattle that are located in Australia. Most of the cattle are raised to be killed for food (Animal's Unleashed, 2013). The cattle that aren’t raised to be killed live in a continual cycle of re impregnation and milking until they are stated “unuseful” and are finally killed as well. A cow can live to the ages of 20 but unfortunately even dairy cows are barely living beyond the ages of 7 (Animal's Unleashed, 2013). In factory farms most of the cattle suffer from horrific surgical procedure without any pain relief, the procedures include branding, disbudding, dehorning, tail docking and the males are castrated (Animal's Unleashed, 2013).

__Mistreatment to pigs: __  Most of Australian’s 350,000 breeding sows, are raised harshly and intensively in factory farms, in a sow stall (Humane Society International, 2013). Sow stalls can be defined as highly restrictive small steel cages with concrete floors where the sows are not able to move freely. The only option for the sow is to stand up or lie down, which can cause pain to the animal and not to mention cruel (Humane Society International, 2013).

Factory farming corporations engage in legalised cruelty in the name of higher profit and cheaper meat and eggs. Their activities are legitimised by State and Federal Departments of Primary Industry, which operate with a stark conflict of interest, they are responsible for promoting the interests of animals but also the interests of very vocal and powerful agribusiness. As long as these government bodies oversee both animal protection and industry, meaningful reform will be very difficult to achieve. The Australian consumers are being delegated to learn the truth behind their food, as the awareness grows the call for change is growing louder. Consumer research has shown 83% of Australians strongly support laws to ensure the animals being used for food have access outdoors, natural material and space to carry out instinctive behaviour (Voiceless the Animal Protection Institute, 2011). Retailers are responding with expanding their ranges of higher welfare and meat-free options, and reducing lines of factory farmed products on their shelves (Coles, 2012). Consumers do not need to wait for governments and industry bodies to grind into gear, the power to create a world without factory farming is in the consumer’s hands. A few decades ago, meat in Australia was considered a luxury. Animals were farmed in the traditional way, for example in real farms as well as open pastures. Today, around 95 per cent of meat chickens and pigs eaten in our country are factory farmed (Michael Kirby, 2013). Their value has dropped to the point where Australians treat cheap meat as a prerogative where it's not infrequent for people to consume meat three times a day for example breakfast, lunch and dinner. Meat production has tripled over the last four decades and increased 20 percent in just the last 10 years (World Watch Institute, 2013) with people In the developing world eating on average 32 kilograms of meat a year, compared to 80 kilograms per person in the industrial world (World Watch Institute, 2013). It is evident that factory farming is legal is a serious issue in today’s society due to the unethical procedures the animals endure being captured within these environments. There are various organisations located in Australia such an Animals Australia, RSPCA, Animal liberation and PETA that appreciate and sympathise with issues such as mistreatment of animals such as factory farming. The way the organisations work is they use public education such as visiting local schools to promote factory farming, cruelty investigations such as the documentary used as my artefact, animal rescue, legislation, celebrity involvement such as celebrities as Paul McCartney and Alec Baldwin as well as protest campaigns. A prime example would be Animals Australia has launched a celebrity-backed campaign called “Make it Possible” that pleads with consumers to use their purchasing power to end the trade. “Make it Possible” include groundbreaking television commercials and exclusive online content, these famous Australians explain in their own words why they do not agree with factory farming and are against it and why they have thrown their support behind the ‘Make it Possible’ campaign (Animal's Australia, 2013). Another instance of methodology is that Coles has announced and informed to Australian community that it will stop selling company-branded pork, ham and bacon from pigs kept in crammed stalls as well as company-branded caged eggs which was in place from January 2013, meeting a commitment by the company to phase out the factory farming (Coles, 2012). By implementing this strategy it is extremely affecting way to readdress the issue of factory farming and gives the consumers a ethical choice and view on the situation.

__CULTURAL AND SOCIAL ANALYSIS __ As the government does not promote the harshness of factory farming and try to eliminate it, welfare groups have stepped in and are trying to combat the serious situation regarding factory farming. Many groups, movements and organizations directly influence and are affected by the issue such as factory farming. The social and cultural groups who are most involved in this issue are organizations such as PETA and the RSPCA. PETA and RSPCA put forward many engagements and campaigns to protect and try to eliminate the harm to animals on factory farms. Organisations are the key to promoting and educating and raising awareness to the general population, and consumers about the true facts due to an issue such as factory farming (PETA, 2013). As the Australia government has no illegalised the serious issue of factory farming in Australia, without Organisations such as PETA and RSPCA the brutality of the factory farming issues would not be addressed. Through organisations such as RSPCA and PETA individuals are educated about the cruelty of animals such as vegetarians and vegans. Individuals who consume a vegetarian and vegan lifestyle are located in the social group that is affected by factory farming and it not is illegal. Vegetarians and vegans choose their lifestyle due to the harsh treatment to animals and their sympathy towards to issue (Chavan, 2011). Although the Australian government is painfully slow and reluctant to implement change for animals, the Greens have put in place methodology. Australians keeping chickens in battery cages and pigs in sow stalls will attract fines under an Australia-first ban on factory farming to be passed by the ACT Assembly. Mr Rattenbury, a Greens MLA, said people would no longer be able to keep hens in battery cages or debeak them. "Not only is this process painful and inhumane but it can also lead to other health complications which make it painful for the bird to eat,'' he said (Jean,2013).There would be a ban on keeping sows in stalls or farrowing crates where they were unable to stand, turn around or engage in natural behaviour(Jean, 2013).

REFLECTIONS The artefact chosen “Meet the Meat” investigates the cruel and harsh treatment of animals situated in the malicious environment of a factory farm. The artefact is a phenomenal piece short documentary as it outlines and highlights the serious consequences to animals due to living on a factory farm. This short documentary depicts the how the importance of making factory farming illegal through the informative narrative and through the unforgiving imagery through the footage. This artefact personally affected me as the footage was quite confronting and the voiceover by Alec Baldwin made it quite chilling to watch and listen to. Personally I am a meat eater and have it on a regular basis. Through this assessment and the past assessment it has opened my eyes to the subject of factory farming and consequences located through it. I have not turned into a vegetarian or vegan but I now sympathise with animals as I have been educated more deeply into the situation and do not agree that it should be legal to treat animals in such a cruel manner. Overall I have learnt a great deal through this subject and these assessment pieces, I had very little education of factory farming before entering the class and now I do believe that I could educate others on the insensitive situation of factory farming. This assessment will be beneficial to me as a future teacher as I individually have better insight and will be able to educate future students on factory farming.

__REFERENCES __ Animal's Australia (2013). Here's how we end factory farming. Retrieved October 17, 2013, from http://www.makeitpossible.com/take_action/ Animal's Unleashed (2013). The Truth About Cows Animals Australia Unleashed. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from http://www.unleashed.org.au/animals/cows.php Animal's Unleashed (2013). The Truth About Chickens Animals Australia Unleashed. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from

[] Blokhuis, H. J., Fiks Van Niekerk, T., Bessei, W., Elson, A., Guemene, D., Kjaer, J.B., Maria Levrino, G. A., Nicol, C. J., Tauson, R., Weeks, C. A. & Van De Weerd, H. A. (2007). The LayWel project: welfare implications of changes in production systems for laying hens. World’s Poultry Science Journal, 63, 101 – 114. doi: 10.1079/WPS2006132

Chavan, L. (2011). Why Go Vegetarian or Vegan? | Vegetarian Times. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from http://www.vegetariantimes.com/article/why-go-veg-learn-about-becoming-a-vegetarian/

Coles (2012). COLES HELPING AUSTRALIANS WITH BETTER ANIMAL WELFARE AT NO ADDED COST TO CUSTOMERS. Retrieved October 3, 2013, from www.coles.com.au/Portals/0/content/pdf/News/Sow Stall and Caged Eggs Media Release Oct 2012.pdf

Department of Agriculture (2013). Animal Welfare - Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from []

Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations & Livestock, Environment and Development. (2006). Livestock’s Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options. Retrieved from ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/010/a0701e/a0701e00.pdf

Humane Society International (2013). Humane Society International: Understanding Pig Farming. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from http://www.hsi.org.au/?catID=1322

Jean, P. (2013). Assembly poised to ban inhumane farm practices on animals. Retrieved October 24, 2013, from http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/assembly-poised-to-ban-inhumane-farm-practices-on-animals-20130918-2u003.html

Meat Free Weak (2012). Animals | Meat Free Week. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from https://meatfreeweek.com/animals

Michael Kirby (2013). Factory farming masks meat's true costs - The Drum Opinion (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved October 7, 2013, from http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4770226.html

Organic Consumer Association (2011). Disturbing Facts on Factory Farming & Food Safety. Retrieved October 23, 2013, from http://www.organicconsumers.org/Toxic/factoryfarm.cfm

PETA (2002). 'Meet Your Meat' | PETA.org. Retrieved October 1, 2013, from http://www.peta.org/tv/videos/celebrities-vegetarianism/87206203001.aspx

PETA (2013). Factory Farming: Cruelty to Animals | PETA.org. Retrieved October 1, 2013, from http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/factory-farming.aspx

Voiceless the Animal Protection Institute (2011). Factory Farming | Voiceless. Retrieved October 19, 2013, from http://www.voiceless.org.au/the-issues/factory-farming

__LEARNING ENGAGEMENT __ [] []

 __ ARTEFACT __ In a moving narration ‘Meet Your Meat’ actor and activist Alec Baldwin exposes the truth behind humanity’s cruellest and most brutal invention factory farming. This 2002 short film documentary is a moving narration, created by [|People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] (PETA), narrated by worldwide actor [|Alec Baldwin], and directed by [|Bruce Friedrich] and Cem Akin. The documentary explores the treatment of animals in modern animal agriculture also known as factory farming ( PETA, 2002 ). Even though the film runs only 12 minutes long the brief and horrific glimpse behind the walls of slaughterhouses, factory farms and live-animal transport sends shivers down your spine. __ PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE __ Billions of farm animals are viciously killed for their flesh every year and others spend almost their entire lives confined to filthy, cramped conditions, where they are forced to produce endless numbers of eggs or gallons of milk. This video is only a few minutes long, but most animals endure abuse like this for their entire lives. The film documents numerous instances of [|cruelty to animals], which include egg-laying hens which live in crowded cages, six or seven hens to one [|battery cage] the size of a file drawer. Another instance included is cattle are castrated, their horns are ripped off, and third-degree burns are inflicted on them, all without anesthetic. Cows used for their milk have their babies removed from them shortly after birth, of these calves they are sent to [|veal] farms. Mother pigs (sows) are confined to [|gestation crates] that are so small that the pigs cannot turn around or even lie down ( PETA, 2002 ). Factory farmed animals are treated like commodities in a production line which is never ending. As Australia stating themselves a country of pet lovers, Australia prides themselves on the love and care of our pets. When did the Australian community stop caring about the general treatment of other animals?

__ LITERATURE REVIEW __ Today, dreadfully hardly any animals roam freely on traditional farms. Worldwide, about 70 billion farm animals are now reared for food each year (Organic Consumer Association, 2011). Most animals produced for food in Australia suffer behind the closed doors of large industrial facilities known as factory farms. The way in which these animals are housed and cared for is mandated under each individual State and Territory government under the //'Animal Welfare Act' ( //Department of Agriculture, 2013)//. // They are treated like commodities in a production line and their pain and distress is disregarded in the pursuit of profit. Factory farming causes the most suffering to the largest number of animals in Australia, more than 500 million every year (Meat Free Weak, 2012). They have no voice, cannot defend themselves and are legally classified as 'property'. Even though the artefact is American the serious legal inhumane is evident through Australian culture which includes: Mistreatment to chickens: In the short PETA documentary the issue of chickens being crammed into small cages roughly half a billion chickens are killed for their flesh in Australia every year (Animal's Unleashed, 2013). The majority are crammed into, where they are unable to behaviour in natural behaviours. Birds are selectively bred to produce much, at 5-7 weeks of age the survivors are and shoved into cages to be trucked to slaughter (Animal's Unleashed , 2013). In Australia, around 12 million hens are locked in with up to 5 other birds as shown on the documentary. On battery farms, ‘barn laid’ farms, and even some ‘free-range’ farms birds have with a hot blade, the painful procedure is done without pain relief (Animal's Unleashed, 2013). Mistreatment to cattle: There are approximately 29 million cattle that are located in Australia. Most of the cattle are raised to be killed for food (Animal's Unleashed, 2013). The cattle that aren’t raised to be killed live in a continual cycle of re impregnation and milking until they are stated “unuseful” and are finally killed as well. A cow can live to the ages of 20 but unfortunately even dairy cows are barely living beyond the ages of 7 (Animal's Unleashed, 2013). In factory farms most of the cattle suffer from horrific surgical procedure without any pain relief, the procedures include branding, disbudding, dehorning, tail docking and the males are castrated (Animal's Unleashed, 2013). Mistreatment to pigs: <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">, in a sow stall (Humane Society International, 2013). Sow stalls can be defined as highly restrictive small steel cages with concrete floors where the sows are not able to move freely. The only option for the sow is to stand up or lie down, which can cause pain to the animal and not to mention cruel (Humane Society International, 2013). Factory farming corporations engage in legalised cruelty in the name of higher profit and cheaper meat and eggs. Their activities are legitimised by State and Federal Departments of Primary Industry, which operate with a stark conflict of interest, they are responsible for promoting the interests of animals but also the interests of very vocal and powerful agribusiness. As long as these government bodies oversee both animal protection and industry, meaningful reform will be very difficult to achieve. The Australian consumers are being delegated to learn the truth behind their food, as the awareness grows the call for change is growing louder. Consumer research has shown 83% of Australians strongly support laws to ensure the animals being used for food have access outdoors, natural material and space to carry out instinctive behaviour (Voiceless the Animal Protection Institute, 2011). Retailers are responding with expanding their ranges of higher welfare and meat-free options, and reducing lines of factory farmed products on their shelves (Coles, 2012). Consumers do not need to wait for governments and industry bodies to grind into gear, the power to create a world without factory farming is in the consumer’s hands. A few decades ago, meat in Australia was considered a luxury. Animals were farmed in the traditional way, for example in real farms as well as open pastures. Today, around 95 per cent of meat chickens and pigs eaten in our country are factory farmed (Michael Kirby, 2013). Their value has dropped to the point where Australians treat cheap meat as a prerogative where it's not infrequent for people to consume meat three times a day for example breakfast, lunch and dinner. Meat production has tripled over the last four decades and increased 20 percent in just the last 10 years (World Watch Institute, 2013) with people In the developing world eating on average 32 kilograms of meat a year, compared to 80 kilograms per person in the industrial world (World Watch Institute, 2013). It is evident that factory farming is legal is a serious issue in today’s society due to the unethical procedures the animals endure being captured within these environments. There are various organisations located in Australia such an Animals Australia, RSPCA, Animal liberation and PETA that appreciate and sympathise with issues such as mistreatment of animals such as factory farming. The way the organisations work is they use public education such as visiting local schools to promote factory farming, cruelty investigations such as the documentary used as my artefact, animal rescue, legislation, celebrity involvement such as celebrities as Paul McCartney and Alec Baldwin as well as protest campaigns. A prime example would be Animals Australia has launched a celebrity-backed campaign called “Make it Possible” that pleads with consumers to use their purchasing power to end the trade. “Make it Possible” include groundbreaking television commercials and exclusive online content, these famous Australians explain in their own words why they do not agree with factory farming and are against it and why they have thrown their support behind the ‘Make it Possible’ campaign (Animal's Australia, 2013). Another instance of methodology is that <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; text-decoration: none;">Coles has announced <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"> and informed to Australian community that it will stop selling company-branded pork, ham and bacon from pigs kept in crammed stalls as well as company-branded caged eggs which was in place from January 2013, meeting a commitment by the company to phase out the factory farming (Coles, 2012). By implementing this strategy it is extremely affecting way to readdress the issue of factory farming and gives the consumers a ethical choice and view on the situation. __ CULTURAL AND SOCIAL ANALYSIS __ <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">As the government does not promote the harshness of factory farming and try to eliminate it, welfare groups have stepped in and are trying to combat the serious situation regarding factory farming. Many groups, movements and organizations directly influence and are affected by the issue such as factory farming. The social and cultural groups who are most involved in this issue are organizations such as PETA and the RSPCA. PETA and RSPCA put forward many engagements and campaigns to protect and try to eliminate the harm to animals on factory farms. Organisations are the key to promoting and educating and raising awareness to the general population, and consumers about the true facts due to an issue such as factory farming (PETA, 2013). As the Australia government has no illegalised the serious issue of factory farming in Australia, without Organisations such as PETA and RSPCA the brutality of the factory farming issues would not be addressed. Through organisations such as RSPCA and PETA individuals are educated about the cruelty of animals such as vegetarians and vegans. Individuals who consume a vegetarian and vegan lifestyle are located in the social group that is affected by factory farming and it not is illegal. Vegetarians and vegans choose their lifestyle due to the harsh treatment to animals and their sympathy towards to issue (Chavan, 2011). Although the Australian government is painfully slow and reluctant to implement change for animals, the Greens have put in place methodology. Australians keeping chickens in battery cages and pigs in sow stalls will attract fines under an Australia-first ban on factory farming to be passed by the ACT Assembly. Mr Rattenbury, a Greens MLA, said people would no longer be able to keep hens in battery cages or debeak them. "Not only is this process painful and inhumane but it can also lead to other health complications which make it painful for the bird to eat,'' he said (Jean,2013).There would be a ban on keeping sows in stalls or farrowing crates where they were unable to stand, turn around or engage in natural behaviour(Jean, 2013).

__ REFLECTIONS __ The artefact chosen “Meet the Meat” investigates the cruel and harsh treatment of animals situated in the malicious environment of a factory farm. The artefact is a phenomenal piece short documentary as it outlines and highlights the serious consequences to animals due to living on a factory farm. This short documentary depicts the how the importance of making factory farming illegal through the informative narrative and through the unforgiving imagery through the footage. This artefact personally affected me as the footage was quite confronting and the voiceover by Alec Baldwin made it quite chilling to watch and listen to. Personally I am a meat eater and have it on a regular basis. Through this assessment and the past assessment it has opened my eyes to the subject of factory farming and consequences located through it. I have not turned into a vegetarian or vegan but I now sympathise with animals as I have been educated more deeply into the situation and do not agree that it should be legal to treat animals in such a cruel manner. Overall I have learnt a great deal through this subject and these assessment pieces, I had very little education of factory farming before entering the class and now I do believe that I could educate others on the insensitive situation of factory farming. This assessment will be beneficial to me as a future teacher as I individually have better insight and will be able to educate future students on factory farming. __ REFERENCES __

<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; display: block; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 22.5pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -22.5pt;">Animal's Australia (2013). //Here's how we end factory farming//. Retrieved October 17, 2013, from http://www.makeitpossible.com/take_action/ Animal's Unleashed (2013). //The Truth About Cows// Animals Australia Unleashed//. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from http://www.unleashed.org.au/animals/cows.php// //<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; display: block; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 22.5pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -22.5pt;">Animal's Unleashed (2013). //The Truth About Chickens //Animals Australia Unleashed//. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from