Ethics of French Food
Ethics of Animal Agriculture in France
What is considered ethical when it comes to food? The production, distribution, preperation, and consumption are the key aspects to this idea. Are the animals being treated correctly without suffering? How will you cook and store the food? What are the benefits from producing this food? These questions are to be considered when determining whether or not the food you are consuming is ethical.
France is currently the world's fourth largest agricultural exporter according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. France was a traditionally agricultural country until the first half of the twentith century. Today, it accounts for breeding twenty-five percent of European cattle livestock. In France, for example, farmers comprise of just around two percent of the population; and large, industrialized farms account for the vast majority of production, despite their small numbers of peasant-type farmers. Like the United States, the French agricultural sector relies on immigrant wage labor, largely from Eastern Europe and Northern Africa.
Within our project we have looked at four specific types of animals; geese, pigs, chicken/poultry, and the ortolan.
The History of Foie Gras
Foie Gras; or "fat liver" originated in ancient Egypt. The first people recorded to force feed the geese were Egyptians after noticing them gorge themselves before migrating. Foie Gras were reserved for Royalty and known as a prized dish. French chef, Jean-Pierrer Claude perfected the royal dish. In 1980, America put an import ban on Foie Gras. When the California state law banned the production and sale of Foie Gras in 2012, it ignated a small controversy within France.
This picture is of the Foie gras after prepared and set out for consumption.
Force-feeding Foie Gras
Below is a video showing the process of force-feeding the Foie Gras. They insert a feeding tube to expand the distal esophagus of the bird. This can cause discomfort during force-feeding as well as immediately afterward while the esophagus is distended. This is a risk factor for esophageal injury. (Watch from 1:24-5:52)
Foie Gras are held on farms that are spacious. Farmers allow the birds to roam free until it is time for feeding. Force-feeding of Foie Gras lasts from twelve to sixteen days. During this period, the birds are confined to small individual cages or group-pens where they are forcibly fed a high-fat corn mash. The birds are restricted to movement during these times; not being allowed to stand erect, turn, or flap their wings.
History of Pig Slaughter
Pig slaughterhouses in France, are found almost exclusively in livestock farms located in the French Great West; especially in the regions of Brittany and Pays de le Loire. These are the home to some of the most abrasive forms of animal slaughter.
Beginning at six months, factory pigs are shipped off in large trucks. In order to collect the pigs into the back, they are hit with electric prods on their backs or up their rectum. One million pigs die from transport alone as they struggle to get air and are given no food or water. In summertime, pigs die from heat exhaustion and in water, can actually freeze to death. When they arrive they are filtered into the slaughterhouse where they are stunned. They are dragged to a scalding tank where they are killed. Due to the inefficiency of the stun gun, most pigs are full conscience and scream as they are scalded. (PETA)
The annual production of pig in France is 2.2 million tons (PETA)
Caution: disturbing content. Here is a video of pig slaughter. As seen in the video, an employee is seen stunning a pig for several seconds, until smoke comes out of the swine's head. A voiceover notes that, when carried out properly, stunning should make an animal "immediately unconscious."
Ethical Pig Production
In France, organic often means "the least amount of humane pain implemented." The issue is the abuse which has the opportunity to persist behind closed doors. France has taken considerab;e lengths of animal protection after the video leak, making it illegal to not have cameras in a slaughterhouse. According to a study conducted by IFOP, the French government pubic opinion institute, eighty-five percent of French citizens approve of video surveilance in slaughterhouses.
History of Cattle Farming in France
France is the biggest producer of red meat in Europe. France devotes over thirteen million hectares of land to cattle farming. That area of land is equal to the entirety of Greece. Cattle farms account for twenty-five percent of the country's land use. In 1976 a legal clause in France established that animals were "sentient beings", essentially furniture. In March of 2016, five slaughterhouse employees stood trial for butchering animals alive. Three of those employees and the company's director have retired and been charged with animal cruelty.
Dairy Cattle Farming in France
France has a rich tradition of dairy farming. France has over twevle hundred different cheeses, and produces enough milk for the production of these cheeses can be a challenge. Industrial farming has been on the rise in France in recent years, and has sparked debate about the ethical treatment of cattle at industrial farms. The video below depicts France's tradition of small dairy farming well.
History of Poultry Production
France is Europe's number one poultry producer and is number fifth in the world. There are approximately two hundred and thirty-five million total bird farms in France. The value of the poultry production is approximately 3.8 billion Euros or 4.256 billion U.S. dollars. Due to French culture, there has been a strong demand for high quality poultry for a long time. "Sectors" of poultry production used to describe the practices of the farm. Sectors three and four are the higher quality, more ethical farms. In 2006, the deadly avian flue swept through the area with the highest standards of pultry production. This caused a lot of concern in the industry and resulted in further regulation.
Ethical Production of Poultry
In response to the avian flu, the high quality producers were more closely regulated to ensure that they were performing ethical practices and also being safe to avoid the spread of something like this again. Sector three and four farms including many with Label Rouge were regulated closely following this event.
Label rouge/AOC/Organic Agriculture: This is given to chicken producers as a symbol quality and ethical methods used in the process. Label Rouge was created in 1960 by farmers who stood against industrial poultry breeding and the practices that allowed for mass production. Similar to American producers being able to label their products "cage free" or "free range." Low quality producers ar given conformity commendations.
History of the Ortolan Bird
Within France, people have been eating the Ortolan birds for centuries. Ortolan's are the rarest bird that is found mostly Southern France due to migration when it moves from Central Europe towards Africa. The birds are known to be sold for high prices because they were scarce and known to be a delicacy. Eating and trapping Ortalans has been banned since 1999. This is because capturing thousands of birds each year for restaurant or home consumption which led the birds towards extinction. It also became illegal because methods of killing and eating were known to be unethical. People however, are still selling the birds on the black market. If they are caught, they can face large fines or jail time. High authorities have been seen not to follow this law. France President, Fracois Mitterance ordered and received two ortolan birds for his final meal; it is said he died a happy man.
Methods used for Capturing and Preparing the Ortolan Bird
Ortolan birds are captured in bird traps while they are still alive. They only weigh about one ounce when they are captured. When they are captured, they are put into small cages and then blinded and force fed. Poacher blind the birds by plucking their eyes out or burning them. If they do not blind them, they keep them in the dark so they cannot see. This disrupts their dailty routine and they become disfunctional. Their feeding habits become disrupted due to this. From force-feeding the birds, it allows their fat reserves to increase in size, leading the bird to become twice it's orignal size. The next step for the poachers is to drown the birds in Armagnac, a distinctive type of Brandy made in the Southeast of France. Then they roast them, and serve them whole to eat. When people consumer the birds they wear a cloth napkin over their head. It is a tradition to do this in order to capture the aromas, and also because it can be a gruesome affair.
Pictured below is of an illegal Ortolan bird trap and individuals who are comnsuming the bird wearing the cloth:
Refusing to eat the Ortolan: No Ethical way of Production
The main reason it is unethical to eat Ortolan birds is because they are so scarce. It is also due to the fact that there is no way to kill the birds. Because of their small size, the birds cannot be killed instantly; i.e. by a gun shot. There are organizations formed to try to help save the bird species. One in Particular is Committee Against Bird Slaughter; CABS. Their hope is that the capturing of birds will end before the bird's species does.
Orotlan Released: This is a video that demonstrates the Committee Against Bird Slaughter releasing the Ortolan bird. At the end of this video, you will learn the violence that is brought on by poachers who dislike what the CABS members are doing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUUkFKi7SBhwgh1dn7YOEu-w&time_continue=107&v=GG65CecKSNc
Why Ethical meat Production is Quintessential to France
Whilst only 3% of the French poplation are employed in agriculture, there are millions employed in the food processing industry. France is one of the largest food exporting nations in the world.
France's agriculture industry is responsible for the vast bulk of pollution into surface water in France, it is a major source . of groundwater pollution, with pesticide contamination of water countrywide.
Though the risk of contaminated drinking water is rare, following severe protests from the EU Commision, the French Government are having to invest enormous sums into water treatment plants to meat environmental requirements (French Property).
Climate Change in France
Animal agricultural is the universally acknowedged leading cause of climate change. Despite its discreet increase, France's temperature is 30% greater than the average rising temperature. Undeterred by other alarming rising waters and consistent rainfall concerns, France is taking precautions to maintain the current climate.
Climate Change Timeline:
- 2004, France began the draft of their first climate change plan
- 2005, France committed to cut its greenhouse gases by 75%
- 2008, "Climate and Energy package" begins in France which commits to immediate reduction of 20% EU greenhouse emissions, raise renewable resources by 20%, and improve energy efficiency by 20%.
- 2011, The Climate Change draft begins to relooked and hopes to improve by 2014 (Climate Change)
- 2016, The Paris Agreement was signed. This means, fifty-five Parties at the National Convention accounted to elimate fifty-five percent of the toal global greenhouse gas emissions (United Nations Climate Change).
- 2017, Emmanuel Macron, President of France, committed to ban sales of petrol and diesel cars by 2040. This created a chain reaction in Europe with Germany to elimate by 2030 and The Netherlands by 2025 (The Guardian).
Works Cited:
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Kristin Cook, The Inhumanity of Foie Gras Production Perhaps California and Chicago Have the Right Idea, 2 J. Animal L. & Ethics 263 (2007)
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Beardsley, Eleanor. “In Europe, A Cow Over Hormone-Treated U.S. Beef.” NPR, NPR, 29 Sept. 2009, www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113314725.
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Wallop, Harry. “Ortolans: Could France's Cruellest Food Be Back on the Menu?” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 17 Sept. 2014, www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/11101187/Ortolans-coul....
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