Eating Animals

Foer’s grandmother, Ethel, only makes one dish, chicken and carrots, but her family loves it and respects her as a great cook. Do you have any family meals that are good because of the importance they have in your family? Could any dish replace that one, as Foer tries to do with turkey at Thanksgiving?

Even though Foer loves his dog, George, he reflects on how that love should reflect a love for all animals. This distinction involves a species barrier. What are the species barriers that you know of? Are there any animals that you would or would not eat, and how might Foer respond to that distinction?

Foer is not a vegan, though he acknowledges that the same abuses he cites occur with animals that are farmed for products like cheese and eggs as occur with animals farmed for meat. For many vegetarians, the main issue is the death of the animal, which is required for meat but not for cheese or eggs. How does Eating Animals address discussions of quality of life, which affect both types of farmed animals? After reading this book, does vegetarianism make sense on its own, or does veganism?

The factory farmer that Foer interviews claims that factory farming is needed to feed the growing population, but Foer notes that the same food used to feed animals could be fed to humans instead. In what other ways might the factory farm be seen as a necessary industry? 

Both C and PETA argue that a life of suffering is not worth living, which results in “rescues,” like when C kills a turkey chick, and euthanasia with PETA. On the other hand, Farm Sanctuary tries to take in animals that they save from factory farms. How might a person like C, or an organization like PETA, improve the welfare of animals without killing any? Are there situations when euthanasia might be the best option?

Bill Niman still brands his cows, even though Foer notes that branding is not effective at preventing theft. How might branding be representative of trends and practices in farming that are harmful for a justifiable reason? Are there other practices that are necessary even though they harm animals?

Regarding Michael Pollan’s idea of table fellowship, Foer argues that a selective omnivore, who only eats ethically sourced meat, is worse for fellowship than a vegetarian, as it is easier to make a vegetarian option than to find ethically sourced meat. How would you feel if you needed to provide for either a selective omnivore or a vegetarian? Should restaurants be expected to have options for these customers? Why or why not?

Foer directly states that eating meat from factory farms and environmentalism cannot coexist. What would need to change in factory farming to become more ecologically friendly? Could Frank Reese or Paul Willis expand their operations without also harming the environment?