According to U.K.-based paper The Herald , a new study shows most people have no idea where their food comes from or how it’s made.





Vegan organization Viva! commissioned the study, which surveyed 2,000 people and produced absolutely shocking results.





Although 83 percent surveyed thought they knew a good deal about farming, most didn't even know dairy cows had to be pregnant in order to produce milk. Additionally, two-thirds were unaware that killing all male chicks on egg farms was standard practice. Sixty-nine percent stated the practice should be illegal.





The study also found that 33 percent of adults didn’t know dairy cows were slaughtered when their milk yield dropped. Instead, many thought cows retired to farm animal sanctuaries. Similarly, 88 percent of people didn’t know that most pigs were killed at just six months of age, even though their natural life span is 15 years.



After learning about factory farming, nearly half said they would consider cutting back on animal products. Sixteen percent said they would give up meat and dairy entirely.





The results from this survey make one thing very clear: The general public is far removed from the realities of food production. People are also horrified when they find out the truth.





A recent Munchies Vice article discusses a series of studies by the University of Oslo that found “people are more willing to eat meat when it's processed and presented in a way that distances the product from its animal origins.” The meat industry knows consumers have no clue how their food is made or where it comes from, and the industry uses that lack of knowledge to its benefit. In fact, it spends millions on false advertising to further distance consumers from the truth.





Factory farms are terrible, filthy, miserable places. Animals raised on them suffer immensely , subjected to neglect, extreme confinement, and horrific abuse.



