Jamie Oliver launches chicken crusade

Jamie Oliver launches chicken crusade : "Oliver and Fearnley-Whittingstall believe part of the solution lies in getting supermarkets to set a fair price for 'ethically' reared chickens."

For many people the cost of food is the thing which makes them avoid the conscience issues. It's understandable. They and their children have to eat. We have been through a similar process here because we got to the stage where we really didn't want to eat food from animals which were hurt and treated badly. We have been through the emotion of it and the pros and cons...but their are no pros to mistreating animals. The better option is vegetarian and vegan and that has developed widespread acceptance and the food options now available for vegetarians and vegans have really increased. Their tastes are less marginalised now and more mainstream. This means farmers have benefited from the options now demanded by vegetarian and vegan consumers...as have shoe makers etc. It's the classic increase-decrease model. If you decrease the pain of animals raised under vile conditions to supply us with food, then you actually increase the possibilities for other products. In that sense we have more choices. As time has gone by our eggs are clearly labelled caged or organic and we know where the eggs come from so we can buy locally if we want and support our farmers. The organic chicken has taken off because it does have a better taste and so you use less and the organic farmers have gradually built up the market and the options through sheer hard work and creativity to bring us chicken which tastes good but has a range of prices. So gradually we are getting on the right track. Those farmers who were running the chook sheds have had a chance to change and see that it is possible. Our bottom line is we don't want cruel conditions for cattle, pigs, chickens and we have worked on that. Not everyone is happy, but most are and most of us feel better about it because we care.Once the options are there the emotion and arguments go out of it and people settle into common sense. Fear is always a great deterrent to change.