Twisted Pig

Twisted Pig

During our weekly visit to the supermarket we've become familiar with choosing prepackaged cuts of meat displayed neatly inside polystyrene trays wrapped in clingfilm. We're encouraged to choose pieces of gammon, ham, bacon and pork. However let's take a reality check - These tasty commodities are in fact the flesh of dead animals, young pigs to be precise.

I'm personally not against eating dead animals, my concern is with how they're treated prior to being murdered and processed into our food chain. Pigs are intelligent, sensitive creatures that enjoy playing and general interaction with humans. Yet mother pigs are systematically caged whilst their young babies are dragged away screaming, and few pigs live beyond their second birthday, often never seeing natural grass or breathing fresh air prior to being slaughtered (see image: Twisted Pig).

I urge DEFRA, the UK government, and all associated farmers to award pigs the mandatory right to live the full term of their natural lives with access to a natural outdoor environment, and when appropriate, playful integration with people at visiting farms, that's recently been proven to help people with mental health issues.

After the pig has died naturally, after a long content and natural life in their natural environment then, and only then, can humans devour their flesh, which would serve as a tribute to the pig's life rather than consuming its carcass as a mere commodity.