Where can I buy ethically raised meat? (A WORLDWIDE GUIDE)
If you are like me you might want to stop supporting factory farms but still don't mind eating meat if it had a good life and a quick death. Luckily finding ethically raised meat is not all that hard if you know where to look. Here are a couple of options:
1. Kosher meat - Kosher butchers have very strict practices that stress kindness to the animals. In fact, the law dictates that Jews are not allowed to pass by an animal in distress or one being mistreated. They are also not allowed to subject creatures to unnecessary pain.
If you want to learn more about Kosher practices check out:
https://www.shechitauk.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/A_Guide_to_Shechita_2009__01.pdf
or
One downside is that kosher meat isn't easy to find in some areas.
2. Small local farms - You would be surprised how many small local farms may be near you if you just google it. When looking for one, check out pictures on their website. It is a good way to tell how much room the animals have. Also, look for a mission statement or explanation of their care. If you can't find those you can always email or call and ask about their practices.
3. Buy certified humane meats - Certified Humane is a program that goes around to farms to judge if their animals have been treated humanely. They have strict rules like the animals never live in cages and must have the space to move around freely. You can check out more about them and find the farms/suppliers that they promote here: https://certifiedhumane.org/farm-profiles/
Where you can't get humanely raised meat
1. Most grocery stores - Grocery stores won't have humanely raised meat unless we start creating a demand for it. Labels like free-range, and grass-fed don't actually mean they were treated well. To be considered free-range, chickens and other animals need access to the outdoors, but only sometimes. They won't be in cages but they can be crammed into a building pressed right up against each other. The building must have to have a door leading outside but it can be a tiny fenced-in space that doesn't even let a quarter of the farm animals outside and the door can be locked most of the time.
2. Restaurants - Unless they specifically advertise where their meat comes from and their practices they are going to just get their meat from factory farms since it is cheaper.
In my experience, it took me a couple of tries to find the best local store for me. So don't be discouraged if you don't like the first place that you try. They are all different. The place I get my meat from now is a cute little farm that you picture in storybooks. Surprisingly the price on most of the items was comparable to my grocery store
Now that you have the information go out, find ethically raised meat near you, and check it out. You never know what you are going to like.
