To the editor: The terrible abuse of calves at Agresti Calf Ranch is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the egregiousness inherent to any industry that commodifies living, feeling beings (“Footage shows Central Valley dairy workers kicking young calves, pulling them with pliers,” May 12). Even if the dubious claim of it being an “isolated issue” were true, calves are routinely pulled from their mothers to live grim lives until their release from this hellish existence at slaughter.
Livestock farming also takes an enormous toll on its laborers, the environment and human health. Low-paid workers in these settings suffer very high rates of physical injury, toxin exposure, accidental death, depression and suicide as they endure the dangerous grind of performing violent acts day after day in one of the most hazardous jobs around. Environmental degradation ensues as animal agriculture is a major contributor to deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions and the rise of drug-resistant bacteria. Meanwhile, the milk produced from all of this misery is provided to a population with high rates of lactose intolerance (affecting people of color at much higher rates).
Let’s face it: “Humane” farming is an oxymoron at its core. Why continue to consume dairy and meat products at all when an abundance of cruelty-free, health-promoting and delicious alternatives exist?
X-tine Goodreau, Los Angeles
