[Ruby Red]

Contadino this was how many people were before and after ther war. We have always had a farm (not on a big scale now ) and many neighbours had chickens in thier gardens.In the gardens of  terrace houses round here there were pigs kept without anyone batting an eyelid and that was in town. If we all became veggies then there would be no countryside as we know it now. Its only ther in todays form because of farming. I eat meat but I will only buy it if it has had a good and NATURAL life before it is slaughtered. I agree at the moment there is no alternative to intensive farming to feed millions. But more people are eating more chicken and a lot of it comes from Government telling ppl that white meat is better etc etc. Years ago we had a joint of beef or whatever on a sunday and a roast chicken was a treat. During the week it was the lesser parts of an animal that were served up or you used up the meat that was left. How many ppl would look at the markets in china  and on seeing  hens squashed together in a basket would feel ok about it. Animal cruelty is in all forms and intensive farming is cruel as it isnt natural to the animal. It is prevented from having basic needs and that is immoral.Yes whichever way they are bred they end up the same way BUT ,one has had a natural healthy life with feeling the sun and plenty of rest and the other has been forced to live in appaling conditions and behave totally unnaturally. I know which I prefer to eat.

[Bodger]

At the moment, the publics perception is that their spending power is being seriously curtailed by rising prices and what looks like an unavoidable depression looming.

 Housing costs are undoubtably leaving a smaller percentage of the publics income available to spend on food and so the last thing that they want is a price hike in that area as well.  

If our food was to be raised extensively and more sympathetically towards what is percieved as the needs of the animals, it would inevitably lead to increased costs. This would be down to the increased area required in the form of larger better housing etc,  possibly labour costs and certainly the cost of improved feed stuffs .

If our factory farmers thought for a moment that they would be able to pass these costs onto the consumer and actually increase profit, they'd do it in a flash and we wouldn't be having this conversation.

[chickychick]

The public will vote with thier money, and continue to make their own choices which is as it should be, so far they have been able to close their eyes to the things that are happening to animals before they hit the shops, when the realisty is shown to them they may change thier mind about what they want.

Housing costs are high however many of us choose to live in homes bigger and better than our parents did despite having smaller families and why not its our choice.

You would be hard pressed to find a starving person in the uk, and making different choices about what we will spend money on may be a good thing with obesity rising alarmingly especially among the young.

Choosing to buy a smaller amount for your family and use different foods can be advantagous for the health of a nation.

During the war years when rationing was at its height the people of the uk were healthier nutrition wise than ever before which is remarkable wehn you consider the campaigns and education which we have all helped to fund with taxes.

If we choose to eat too much of some food groups we will be less healthy so perhaps rebalancing the costs of food could be a good thing.

I dare say that in time the intensive farming methods will be abolished as  we all become more aware, as a kid there were no organic foods in the shops or salt free this or that so changes do happen.

I remember deciding after reading about wholemeal bread that I would switch to it,( after someone I knew died of bowel cancer.)

I found that I could not buy it anywhere and this was only 30 years ago, I was a teenager on a mission and ended up baking my own, quite amusing in light of it being available everywhere now and we think nothing of it.  I was told I was a crack pot wanting this weird bread!

Some changes are good so lets hope this latest surge of pulic interest will be beneficial.