Animal welfare: A unique African Perspective.
How does one go about bringing change in an environment where the majority of the food consumed/ Cooked revolves around animals? If we manage to tackle the issue of getting people to treat animals better, it’s bound to be a tough task – if not nearly impossible – to steer them away from their animal-based diet. I believe that the ultimate aim of treating animals with kindness is to put an end to their slaughter, which essentially is the core of animal rights.
Now, here’s the thing: the substitute they’re providing”Plant-based meat” just doesn’t quite measure up to the real deal. Where I come from, we’re used to consuming all animal parts and a wide array of species, making it a real challenge to convince folks to cut back when the alternatives don’t quite hit the mark taste-wise. And don’t even get me started on the price – alternative meat protein tends to hit the wallet harder compared to the cheaper meat options they’re used to. Convincing people that have been ingrained into meat eating to change to another protein giving that is more expensive than the previous is a hard task. Even when the majority are hit hard with life sickness that required not consuming meat, a lot of people find it hard/ impossible to abide by a given solution to their ailment( which includes stopping meat consumption). This depicts how people consume and like meat. A typical breakfast meal of people includes buying/cooking one scoop of rice and then adding fish, the head part of the meat, the intestine, the egg, the hard part, and others. Eating all these portrays richness and healthy living in our part of the world.
The big question now is: what’s the key factor to consider/ advocate for to get the desired outcome of effective contribution: animal welfare or animal rights? It’s a real head-scratcher. Pushing for people to give up meat becomes a whole lot trickier when we don’t have a better option in place. And let’s face it, encouraging folks to treat animals well when the endgame is still putting them on the plate doesn’t exactly fit together like pieces of a puzzle.
Here’s what boils down to cracking the code on animal welfare and rights in our African setting demands a full-fledged game plan. We’ve got to wholeheartedly embrace our cultural roots, keep a watchful eye on the financial side of things, and get into the nitty-gritty of taste preferences. And at the end of the day, our main mission is to establish a better, more balanced bond with the critters that coexist with us on this planet we share. So, the big question is: what’s the winning strategy to genuinely get folks on board in this complex scenario?
Interesting suggestion, curious as to what other ideas are out there and why the one suggested here may be preferred
Wondering what the perfect solution to the problem will be.