The Ethical Dilemmas at the end of each of our 17 chapters are a popular feature that many OM instructors assign as homework or use for lively class discussions. Some colleges, such as Benedictine University, view ethics as an important part of their OM curriculum (as noted in their linked syllabus). If you look over the Ethical Dilemma in Chapter 7, which deals with the trade-off between increased productivity/ lower costs of pork vs. the comfort of the pigs, you will appreciate the article in the New York Times (Oct.6, 2012) on this very sensitive subject.
The article opens: “Sow 44733 had broken the shoulder of one of her pen mates, rousted another who was huddled in the corner and was chewing on the ear of a third. Other sows in the pen sported abrasions, torn ears and bloody tail stumps. It was that kind of behavior that led hog farmers like Tom Dittmer to isolate sows in individual stalls called gestation crates that are barely bigger than the pigs themselves.”
“The reason the industry switched to crates wasn’t because we wanted to harm our animals,” Mr. Dittmer said. “We did it because we thought it was what was best for the animals.” The move also kept the price of pork reasonably low for consumers, he said.
Now, hog farmers are under increasing pressure from corporate pork buyers and animal rights groups to return to the old way of doing things: putting sows in group housing. In September alone, three companies — Dunkin’ Donuts, ConAgra Foods and Brinker (Chili’s) — announced that they would no longer buy pork derived from pigs housed in gestation crates. Farmers resent the tactics, saying they worry that the move will be unsustainably costly for them and result in soaring pork prices for consumers.
Research is mixed about which type of housing is best for the animals’ welfare, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Want to ask your students what they think?