Where Your Wool and Mutton Come From--And Who Really Pays

Thanks to Mary Martin, I read this article this morning: "In Loneliness, Immigrants Tend the Flock."

Yet another example of how exploitation of animals = exploitation of humans too, of how oppression breeds oppression. Some people think their meat, dairy, eggs, leather, wool, and whatever else of animal origin they purchase are expensive. But the reality? They're getting it all for much, much, much cheaper than they should.

First, we all--including vegans who don't even buy any of these things--pay far more than the sticker prices for these animal-exploiting purchases because of insane government subsidies. And another reason that people who buy these spoils of animal exploitation get them for as cheap as they do is that animal-exploiting industries pay the people doing the dirty work as little as possible, not anywhere near a living wage. Animal-product purchases should be costing consumers a hell of a lot more. But we treat animals in horrific ways and treat humans in horrific ways, all to make sure those prices you see stay low.

My hope is that more and more of the people who eat meat, dairy, and eggs and who purchase leather, wool, and other animal products will start awakening to the realization that the costs of these purchases are so much higher than they once realized--and that others are the ones paying dearly for those purchases.

For more on what happens to sheep, see these resources:

• Sheep at Animal Liberation Victoria (even if you don't eat lamb or mutton, but you love your Merino socks and sweaters, you need to read this)
• What's Wrong with Wool? (from VegSource)
• SaveTheSheep.com (from PETA)

See also "Captive labor: The plight of Peruvian sheepherders illuminates broader exploitation of immigrant workers in U.S. agriculture."