Cruelty-free is a myopic concept that people of the Global North have become far too comfortable using to support their consumption. Attributing a food as cruelty-free deliberately ignores the systemic oppression, abuse of power, and exploitation of resources inherent to the industrial food system. While it is not the sole responsibility of individual stakeholders to address the inequities and wrongdoings of multinational conglomerates supported by governments built upon stolen land, it is necessary for individuals with the privilege and resources for conscious consumerism to confront the externalities of their choices.
Conscious consumerism is a lifestyle movement with genuine themes that could be used to prompt actionable changes of cruelty in the food system; although its potential is hindered by greenwashing. Greenwashing refers to a variety of marketing techniques employed to appeal to people’s desire to have their dollars do “better” and be impactful. Instead of being accountable to address the exploitation within supply chains, corporations commodify aspects of social and environmental justice through cruelty-free labels and other use of labeling schemes that create industries out of augmented claims to encourage consumption as a form of economic advocacy. The widespread adoption of phrases like “cruelty-free” demonstrates the futility of expecting significant and sustainable changes from the same neoliberal, capitalistic nexus that created a profit-driven food system.
While often associated with plant-based and/or vegan goods because of certifying bodies such as Cruelty Free International, a cruelty-free label claim does not always guarantee the absence of exploitation. While the intentions of the organizations behind the certifications boast just causes, such as ending animal experimentation worldwide, the term doesn’t live up to it’s meaning. A focus on ending animal experimentation and testing is a worthy one but is such a narrow scope in which to claim to be free from cruelty. To position a good as cruelty-free implies other goods without this label are cruel; a binary that begs to be taken a step further- why have we accepted systems where cruelty is the normative option? Companies that profit from animal testing, labor exploitation, food waste, resource depletion, price-fixing, and other cruel techniques shrouded in romanticized annual reports, clever marketing campaigns, and clever social media accounts are accepted as operating within the normal standard of business.
Recently, an iteration of cruelty-free commodification has emerged under the guise of innovation. Big Food conglomerates are jumping on the bandwagon of animal-free food production to capture a share of the plant-based retail industry, which holds an estimated value of $7 billion for the United States alone. There are more plant-based, vegan, cruelty-free, clean label choices accessible than ever before; however, companies contributing to this choice surplus continue to produce traditional goods. From an industry perspective, the rise of flexitarian preferences boasts huge potential because now consumers purchasing animal-free meat products are also those consuming animal-derived products. Multinational food conglomerates are absorbing brands with alternative mission and values positioning that earned consumers trust and further consolidating their already tight market share. These corporations profit off cruelty-free messaging as they continue to pillage natural resources, exploit workers across their supply chain, and fund PACs that undermine antioppression activism along with public health and safety. Exploitation isn’t relegated to any singular facet of the food industry, although recent research shows agriculture has one of the highest incidences of forced labor on a global scale. The opacity of our global-food systems upholds exploitation, cruelty, and oppression on a daily basis.
Our food system has codified cruelty and it is in the economic interest of Big Food to maintain business practices and public policies that support it. The very success of greenwashing and humanewashing demonstrates an industry-wide understanding that consumers want to use their buying power to push for progress. Individual actions are always valuable and should not be underestimated; however, we have systemically and systematically constrained the potential of individuals to be changemakers in favor of a portfolio of a few food conglomerate executives.
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