The Grumpy Vegan’s attention was brought to the October issue of Satya, which is the second in a two-parter on the strategic challenges facing the animal rights movement. The editorial refers to Compassion In World Farming and its recent support for British-produced, “humane” veal. Satya asks why CIWF, which was at the “forefront of the successful protests that inspired the 1990 ban on veal crates in the UK,” is “now lauding British veal consumption”?
As CIWF’s Campaigns Organizer (1976-1978) who personally worked with its founders, Peter and Anna Roberts, as their second full-time employee, I can offer some historic understanding as to why this is a position that they hold. Although, I should add, I’m not representing CIWF in any official capacity.
Peter and Anna Roberts predated Howard Lyman by some 30 years. They were dairy farmers who were outraged by the treatment of farmed animals. After giving up farming and as vegetarians they formed CIWF in 1967. They also launched Direct Foods, which produces the staple of many British vegetarians and vegans, Sosmix and Burgamix, a dry mixture that becomes a burger when added with water and fried. The mission of Direct Foods is to provide consumers with a soy product that they can eat without it first being consumed by animals that then become meat.
Peter and Anna established CIWF as an organization that opposed cruel practices in animal agriculture. It never promoted vegetarianism — although they and many of the staff do not eat meat and dairy products — because they believed it’s important for the consumer to make their own mind up on what was on their plate. It also made strategic sense. CIWF is an organization for veg and nonveg alike to comfortably come together to challenge the most egregious examples of farmed animal abuse.
And, as it is said in Britain, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. As Satya correctly points out, CIWF led the way in accomplishing many of the bans on factory farming practices.
