How to Cook Up a Kinder Christmas Feast
A more humane approach to eating over the festive season is good news for animals
Going a little overboard on what you eat and drink on Christmas Day is all part of the fun, but a little kindness can go a long way when it comes to our impact on animals. If you’re hosting Christmas at your house this year, or taking a plate along to a family lunch or dinner, why not shop for ingredients produced with the wellbeing of animals in mind, or consider a meat-free dish?
According to the RSPCA, four out of five Australians believe it’s important that meat, eggs and dairy products sold in Australia are farmed in humane and ethical ways. But it’s not always easy to make informed buying choices. Follow this guide to show you care this Christmas… and enjoy some guilt-free indulgence.
According to the RSPCA, four out of five Australians believe it’s important that meat, eggs and dairy products sold in Australia are farmed in humane and ethical ways. But it’s not always easy to make informed buying choices. Follow this guide to show you care this Christmas… and enjoy some guilt-free indulgence.
The Christmas turkey
Refusing to buy factory-farmed turkey is the kindest step you can take, if you want to improve the lives of turkeys raised to provide us with food. Animals Australia reminds us that every person who replaces some or all of the intensively farmed turkey meat he or she eats at Christmas and beyond is reducing the demand for it. Not sure if the turkey you’re about to buy is factory farmed? Sadly, if the production system isn’t specified on the packaging, the turkey was almost certainly factory farmed.
Look for: The ‘RSPCA Approved’ system accredits turkeys to RSPCA standards, with higher welfare standards than conventional factory farms. ‘Certified free-range’ turkeys (rather than those just labelled ‘free-range’) have access to an outdoor area, and ‘certified organic’ turkey products go one step further, with conditions that are generally better than certified free-range.
If in doubt, go to Humane Choice, which lists true free-range products and where to buy them. Humane Choice is a certification scheme launched by Humane Society International in 2006, to improve the welfare standards of farm animals across Australia and New Zealand.
Refusing to buy factory-farmed turkey is the kindest step you can take, if you want to improve the lives of turkeys raised to provide us with food. Animals Australia reminds us that every person who replaces some or all of the intensively farmed turkey meat he or she eats at Christmas and beyond is reducing the demand for it. Not sure if the turkey you’re about to buy is factory farmed? Sadly, if the production system isn’t specified on the packaging, the turkey was almost certainly factory farmed.
Look for: The ‘RSPCA Approved’ system accredits turkeys to RSPCA standards, with higher welfare standards than conventional factory farms. ‘Certified free-range’ turkeys (rather than those just labelled ‘free-range’) have access to an outdoor area, and ‘certified organic’ turkey products go one step further, with conditions that are generally better than certified free-range.
If in doubt, go to Humane Choice, which lists true free-range products and where to buy them. Humane Choice is a certification scheme launched by Humane Society International in 2006, to improve the welfare standards of farm animals across Australia and New Zealand.
Happier hams
Pigs are intelligent, social animals who like to wallow in the mud, relax in the sun and forage for food, but the RSPCA says most pigs born and raised in conventional farming systems aren’t given the freedom to be able to follow their natural piggy instincts. Animals Australia says pigs can also learn their own name and play ‘fetch’, and can be as affectionate as the family dog.
Look for: Free-range bacon, ham and pork products. According to Australian Pork, just five per cent of Australian sows are free range, a farming set-up that ensures they live outside with shelter from the elements and are provided with bedding.
Read more about Hank the Pig
Pigs are intelligent, social animals who like to wallow in the mud, relax in the sun and forage for food, but the RSPCA says most pigs born and raised in conventional farming systems aren’t given the freedom to be able to follow their natural piggy instincts. Animals Australia says pigs can also learn their own name and play ‘fetch’, and can be as affectionate as the family dog.
Look for: Free-range bacon, ham and pork products. According to Australian Pork, just five per cent of Australian sows are free range, a farming set-up that ensures they live outside with shelter from the elements and are provided with bedding.
Read more about Hank the Pig
Cheerful chickens
Seeing each chicken as an individual with its own likes, dislikes and favourite things to do can be motivating for those on the fence as to whether to they should pay a little extra for free-range or organic chicken.
Look for: According to Choose Wisely, an initiative of the RSPCA, shoppers can say no to overcrowded, often painful, shed conditions for chickens by choosing to buy chickens raised in ‘higher-welfare indoor’ conditions or ‘free-range’ – which ensures they have access to an outdoor area during the day. ‘RSPCA Approved’ chickens are raised according to the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme standards. They are provided with perches, objects to peck and proper lighting to encourage activity and prevent burns and blisters – common outcomes of intensive farming practices.
Seeing each chicken as an individual with its own likes, dislikes and favourite things to do can be motivating for those on the fence as to whether to they should pay a little extra for free-range or organic chicken.
Look for: According to Choose Wisely, an initiative of the RSPCA, shoppers can say no to overcrowded, often painful, shed conditions for chickens by choosing to buy chickens raised in ‘higher-welfare indoor’ conditions or ‘free-range’ – which ensures they have access to an outdoor area during the day. ‘RSPCA Approved’ chickens are raised according to the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme standards. They are provided with perches, objects to peck and proper lighting to encourage activity and prevent burns and blisters – common outcomes of intensive farming practices.
Eggs worth eating
In the past 12 months, 65 per cent of Australians opted to buy ‘free-range’ eggs. But free-range doesn’t always really mean free-range, according to a report by CHOICE.
For eggs to be labelled free range, the Model Code of Practice says there should be a maximum of 1500 hens per hectare, CHOICE says, but many so-called free-range brands keep as many as 10,000 chooks per hectare. “Many consumers are paying extra assuming hens are staying in the equivalent of a comfortable bed and breakfast, but instead they’re stuck in a crowded backpacker hostel,” says CHOICE director of campaigns and communications Matt Levey.
In the past 12 months, 65 per cent of Australians opted to buy ‘free-range’ eggs. But free-range doesn’t always really mean free-range, according to a report by CHOICE.
For eggs to be labelled free range, the Model Code of Practice says there should be a maximum of 1500 hens per hectare, CHOICE says, but many so-called free-range brands keep as many as 10,000 chooks per hectare. “Many consumers are paying extra assuming hens are staying in the equivalent of a comfortable bed and breakfast, but instead they’re stuck in a crowded backpacker hostel,” says CHOICE director of campaigns and communications Matt Levey.
To make shopping for eggs easier, CHOICE developed the CluckAR app, which is regularly updated to let you know which brands to support if you’re seeking to buy authentically free-range eggs. Use it at the supermarket to do a quick check before making your egg selection.
How to Grow Your Own Eggs (and Other Reasons to Keep Chooks)
How to Grow Your Own Eggs (and Other Reasons to Keep Chooks)
Better beef and lamb
Don’t assume cattle and sheep spend happy days out grazing in the fields before ending up on your dinner plate. Crowded grain lots can make life decidedly unpleasant for these gentle animals, and it’s up to us to vote with our wallets to give them a better quality of life.
The PCAS certification system for cattle ensures they have been grass-fed their whole lives and have never been fed cereal grains or grain by-products. Buying PCAS beef also rules out cattle being confined for intensive feeding. Instead, they will have had free access to graze in open pastures. Without the PCAS certification, cattle can be ‘finished’ for up to 100 days in a feedlot and still be labelled ‘grass fed’ and ‘free-range’.
Seek out butchers who sell PCAS beef and free-range, ethically raised lamb by doing a quick search online, or buy directly from the farmer. Sustainable Table’s Ethical Meat Supplier Directory makes it simple to find local butchers, farmers’ markets and producers that support animal welfare.
Your say
Share your favourite meat-free recipes and vegetarian Christmas lunch ideas in the Comments below. And if you enjoyed this story, like it, bookmark it, save the photos and share your thoughts below. Join the conversation.
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Don’t assume cattle and sheep spend happy days out grazing in the fields before ending up on your dinner plate. Crowded grain lots can make life decidedly unpleasant for these gentle animals, and it’s up to us to vote with our wallets to give them a better quality of life.
The PCAS certification system for cattle ensures they have been grass-fed their whole lives and have never been fed cereal grains or grain by-products. Buying PCAS beef also rules out cattle being confined for intensive feeding. Instead, they will have had free access to graze in open pastures. Without the PCAS certification, cattle can be ‘finished’ for up to 100 days in a feedlot and still be labelled ‘grass fed’ and ‘free-range’.
Seek out butchers who sell PCAS beef and free-range, ethically raised lamb by doing a quick search online, or buy directly from the farmer. Sustainable Table’s Ethical Meat Supplier Directory makes it simple to find local butchers, farmers’ markets and producers that support animal welfare.
Your say
Share your favourite meat-free recipes and vegetarian Christmas lunch ideas in the Comments below. And if you enjoyed this story, like it, bookmark it, save the photos and share your thoughts below. Join the conversation.
More
Read more lifestyle stories
It can be easy to forget the dishes we nibble on before the main event when we’re planning a more humane Christmas feast. A cheese platter, for example, is ripe with opportunity when it comes to consuming with a conscience – not all dairy farms put the welfare of their milking cows at the top of their agenda.
Look for: Shop Ethical makes it easier to make smart purchasing decisions – just look for the green star next to brands listed in the dairy and chilled foods section, which covers everything from cheese to dips. Shop Ethical’s aim is to empower people to make informed choices, so they can shop more in line with their values.