Stop it! - Cruel practices in Jamaica traumatise our animals

Jamaica's diverse culture is defined by the variety of spices and unique cuisine that link us as a community.

Whether through the medium of a ceramic plate or a Styrofoam box, our food is a symbol of our family bonds, our compassion, and our irrefutable great taste. Yet, our compassion should not just stop at the dinner table, for the meal begins its path long before the pressure cooker. The journey our meat takes to our plate is just as important as the cooking process. As a community, it is our duty to ensure that the food we place in our mouth is just as humane as our actions. Instead of separating the supermarket from the slaughterhouse, extend your thoughts to actively understanding the process that such a vital part of your culture goes through.

Let's start with a treasured member of the typical Jamaican boxed lunch: fried chicken. The journey chicken takes to reach the comfortable home of your stomach is one of fear. In mass production of livestock, there is no true ethical way of going about it. The live chickens are hung upside down on a conveyor belt as they are sent through a gruesome process. The ethical choice many companies have taken is to "stun" the chickens in order to numb them from the pain of being slaughtered. Yet, this process is not painless as the animals enter the production line in a disorientated state, heightened by the uncomfortable position they are placed in. This results in a selection of these animals squirming throughout the process, preventing them from being properly stunned by the electrical currents being passed through. Without being stunned, the animals are forced to endure being boiled alive, a type of suffering unimaginable by our minds.

SIMILAR TO SLAVERY

Despite this occurrence being in the minority, the suffering and trauma these animals face during this process is one similar to that of slavery. Instead of being treated as lives, they are considered as a means to an end.

Next, let's move to a true Jamaican classic: jerked pork. The taste of this delicacy is irreplaceable, yet behind the hints of pimento and Scotch bonnet lies the stench of pure fear. The entire experience is intensely stressful for the pig, beginning from the transportation stage. Transporters tend to prod the animals to control their movement, which instigate, heart attacks in the pigs. Immobilised animals inhibit the progress of the entire process, resulting in them being mistreated in an effort to restart movement. The cruelty in this process is aided by what is referred to as a hook, which clips into the bones of the pigs and is used to drag them once they are unresponsive.

These animals have to endure the pain caused by these cruel practices long before entering the slaughterhouse. By the time they arrive, the pigs are disoriented, dehydrated and traumatised. At this stage, they go through a similar stunning process, where carbon dioxide is used to deprive their body of oxygen. However, the animals are transported to the next stage, whether or not the stunning process has been completed sufficiently. This results in the pigs being hung by their hind feet and executed with little to no numbing. Rather than ensure that each animal is properly stunned and then killed, many workers tend to overlook this process, resulting in many being boiled alive while still conscious. There is no humanity in this process. The meals we cherish are being derived from a painful and cruel past. The pain these animals feel should not be justified by our wants.

Knowledge should be given not to guilt, but to allow individuals to make their own educated decisions. We should not be kept ignorant of the processes that our meat goes through. It is our responsibility to know and make ethical decisions based on that. There are a variety of options that are available for individuals who do not support this system. Whether it is vegetarianism or simply advocating for more ethical practices within our own country, we all can take action to improve the world around us. Do not separate the fate of one species from that of another. We are all connected.