Quite simply because there is not ethical imperative to stop- and its about nourishment rather than just enjoyment.
Do we have an ethical imperative to stop cats from killing birds? All complex animal life on this planet consumes other living cells in order to survive, it is just a matter of scale and type.
This is especially true for animals that exist so that we may consume them. Hundreds of millions of chicken live only so that we may be nourished- similarly for cows, sheep and so forth.
Raising them in a minimally harsh and 'humane' environment can be an ethical good but that their lives are shortened by our 'harvesting' process is irrelevant, since they exist only due to that need to begin with.
Now killing an animal and discarding the resultant bounty- that is unethical and wrong, unless needed to ameliorate some other harm.
> Raising them in a minimally harsh and 'humane' environment can be an ethical good but that their lives are shortened by our 'harvesting' process is irrelevant, since they exist only due to that need to begin with.
are you saying it's always preferable to create a life, as long as its conditions pass some threshold of being humane?
many would disagree. you might value minimising suffering above maximising happiness, for example.
I'm saying when a species exists in its current form and cannot exist except for the support of its creator species, there is no ethical dilemma in harvesting the results of raising it.
Unless and until we reach 'uplift' level sentience of client species the death of a husbandry animal creates no more ethical conflict than cutting down wheat.
> "Raising them in a minimally harsh and 'humane' environment"
The vast majority of meat eaten in the developed world comes from factory farms where the treatment of animals is pretty horrific. If you don't believe me on how bad it is, watch the movie Earthlings. It's free on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrlBSuuy50Y
I'm aware. Quite pleased that distributors/retailers have started doing checks of their upstream suppliers. Just as manufacturers have done the same with upstream parts/materials suppliers- there is no requirement that meat eaters tolerate unnecessary cruelty.
Do we have an ethical imperative to stop cats from killing birds? All complex animal life on this planet consumes other living cells in order to survive, it is just a matter of scale and type.
This is especially true for animals that exist so that we may consume them. Hundreds of millions of chicken live only so that we may be nourished- similarly for cows, sheep and so forth.
Raising them in a minimally harsh and 'humane' environment can be an ethical good but that their lives are shortened by our 'harvesting' process is irrelevant, since they exist only due to that need to begin with.
Now killing an animal and discarding the resultant bounty- that is unethical and wrong, unless needed to ameliorate some other harm.