The issue of industrial animal agriculture
Farmed animals are among the most directly impacted by human activity, with more than 830 million land animals raised and killed for food in Canada in 2019. Society’s overconsumption of animal products has led to the rise of the industrial animal agriculture system, characterized by:
- large numbers of animals
- confined in cramped, barren and unnatural conditions
Animals are kept in cages or stalls that severely limit their ability to behave naturally and socially. Young are separated from their mothers much earlier than would naturally occur, often on the day they were born.
On-farm practices that result in animal suffering include:
- painful procedures without the use of pain control
- rough handling and the use of electric prods
- untimely or no treatment of injury and disease
- inhumane methods of euthanasia
Practices and conditions surrounding the transport, auction and slaughter processes are also incredibly stressful for animals.
Every year in Canada, approximately 14 million animals suffer injuries and 1.6 million die during transport journeys that are often long-distance and in extreme weather conditions.
At slaughterhouses, thousands of animals are killed per day, resulting in a fast-paced, dangerous environment for both the animals and the workers.
What we are doing about it
Our Go Veg program focuses on educating and empowering individuals in making the transition toward a plant-based diet and vegan lifestyle.
Our Plant-Based Plates program works at the institutional level to transition menus and food policy toward less animal products and more plant-based foods.
Latest news
COVID-19 exposes problems in Canada’s food system, groups call for change
The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) is joining other animal protection, environmental and food advocacy groups in calling on the federal government to direct any financial aid for Canada’s agriculture system toward transitioning to a safe, equitable and sustainable plant-based food system that improves food security, protects animal welfare, public health, worker safety and the environment…
Ontario’s anti-animal protection legislation
“We simply do not know if animals are capable of reasoning and cognitive thought”. This statement was made by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) in its submission to the Ontario government in support of Bill 156 – a recently passed ‘ag-gag’ bill that effectively conceals animal cruelty, unsafe working conditions and environmental issues on…