Nandita visits German Dairies

My friends in Germany told me that their cows were kept very well and so there was no problem in eating cheese in Germany. I traveled a lot in Germany by train during this trip and rarely saw cows outdoors even though most of the time the weather was very nice. The countryside was covered with pastures but no animals. I was wondering where all those happy cows were!

I did not have to wonder too long. My Peas Vs Pills workshop took place in a small village with 10 small dairy farmers. I went to see the dairies. They were nothing but small scale factories. The calves were immediately separated from their mothers and there were cages where they could be kept. The cows were kept in rows with no access to the sun or those wonderful meadows. The grass was cut, rolled and brought inside to feed the cows. There were mountains cowdung outside the barns.

The cows themselves were tied above and below and could only stand or sit in their places. No chance to take a stroll. Gone are the days of happy German cows. These cows are lifelong prisoners, milk machines, repeatedly impregnated and milked till they are depleted of everything. In 5 to 6 years they are ready to become hamburgers.

It's funny how so many of us retain memories from the past and do not see the situation in the present. Is it our brains defense mechanism so that we can continue eating the foods we grew up with?

Nandita