PRESENTATION |
Saturday, 09.09.2017 15:30-16:20 Room A |
Beyond animal agriculture: vegan organic food production as a cornerstone for transformation in agriculture |
Daniel Mettke |
On a daily basis we are confronted with the fatalities that so-called "modern" farming brings forth: abuse and exploitation of non-human animals and humans alike, ecologically disastrous management of resources, with negative effects on the global climate, whole environments and last not least individuals. Combined, most forms of agriculture constitute the most important area of institutionalized global animal exploitation. Animal rights advocacy focuses on that, speaking out against all forms of animal exploitation, acting by rescuing, releasing or harboring individual farm animals, promoting vegan food and life style, still the way farming is commonly perceived to be inseparable interweaved with animal use is hardly touched by these words and actions. Vegan (syn. "veganic", "stockfree") organic farming is the kind of agriculture that intends to respect the rights of animals not to be used as commodities, both on a conceptual level and in actual practice and therefore implements crucial practical elements of animal liberation, food sovereignity, social, economical and ecological justice. The talk aims to propose employing vegan organic farming in a deliberate push-(and)-pull strategy of animal rights activism, to function both a central demand in the societal discourse on animal politics, as well as practical example for exploitation-free food production. |