Public opinion and social media are creating new pressure to switch to cage-free eggs, but the issue is more complex than it appears, according to a new Globe and Mail article which examines the pros and cons of ethical eating.
David Fraser, a professor of animal welfare at UBC, said animal welfare is difficult to measure: “There are components you can measure, but there is no scientifically or purely objective way of balancing different goods.” While researchers can measure factors such as animal health or natural behaviours, choosing which is more important is ultimately an ethical decision and not a scientific one.
