Eating Animals

Foer describes his visit to Paradise Locker Meats, operated by Mario Fantasma. Paradise Locker is a more ethical slaughterhouse, and Foer explains the clean conditions and compassionate workers. Animals are rendered unconscious before slaughter and are slaughtered individually to avoid scaring the other animals or making mistakes. At the end of Foer’s tour, they offer him a slice of ham, and he refuses. Foer notes how many animals are bred to exhibit traits that are detrimental to their wellbeing. Pigs are bred to produce better meat, but these modifications cause them more stress, reducing the quality of the meat.

At Paul Willis’s farm, owned by prominent, ethical ranch owner Bill Niman, Foer discovers an idyllic hog farm. This involves giving the pigs space, time spent outdoors, and socialization. They still must transport the pigs over long distances to humane slaughterhouses, which can be stressful. Unluckily for Niman, a new factory farm is about to be built next door to the Willis farm, which will significantly impact the conditions of the land, the pigs, and the people who live and work there.

One problem of factory farming is waste management, which leads Foer to examine Smithfield, the current largest hog farming company. The waste produced by Smithfield’s pigs is an issue for the animals, the people who live near the facilities, the environment, and the consumers.