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Finger Lickin' Good?
Arthur Stamoulis
Claiming that KFC refuses to make the same animal welfare improvements
that fast-food chains like Burger King, McDonald's and Wendy's have,
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has initiated a
campaign against the fried chicken restaurant called "Kentucky
Fried Cruelty."
Among the charges of cruelty that PETA levels against the business are:
• Cramped quarters, where chickens are forced to spend their
entire lives in a space equivalent to the size of a regular sheet
of paper.
• Fast-growth techniques and selective breeding, resulting in top-heavy birds that can't support their own weight and thus suffer broken bones.
• Malfunctions in automated systems, which sometimes lead to chickens having their throats cut or being dunked into scalding water while still fully conscious.
PETA is demanding a number of changes in living conditions for the animals KFC slaughters, and is asking people to write or call the company demanding that they be implemented.
KFC's parent company, Yum! Brands, Inc., has responded saying, "Yum! Brands believes treating animals with care and respect is a key part of our quality assurance efforts. This means animals should be free from mistreatment at all times — from how they are raised and cared for to how they're transported and processed. Our goal is to ensure an environment that's free from cruelty, abuse and neglect."
PETA's ultimate goal is for people to stop eating animals and animal products altogether. They are targeting KFC after more than two years of negotiations; similar campaigns against other fast-food companies by PETA have resulted in animal welfare improvements.
Vegetarian and vegan lifestyles are not only beneficial from an animal rights perspective, but for environmental and human rights reasons as well. Raising livestock uses considerably more water and energy, and produces considerably more waste, than farming vegetables, fruits and grains.
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