Thursday, May 15, 2008

foie gras returns to the Windy City

Today comes news that Chicago's aldermen overwhelmingly voted to end the ban on foie gras. Animal rights activists are hot under the collar. Restauranteurs are delighted.

As for me, I'm skeptical of the ban, mostly because it's arbitrary. Some 90% of our beef, pork, and chicken, are raised in Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and processed through giant facilities as part of our industrial agriculture system. On animal rights grounds, health grounds, or environmental grounds, all of this meat has at least as much of a case for being banned as foie gras.

I feel the answer on this front is consumer awareness, not legislation. Your thoughts?

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