July 16th 2008
KFC Canada Goes Vegan
For those living in the US, f**k off!
Filed under: animals, food & drink, healthy living — meghan @ 1:18 pm
Road-tripping from Toronto to Vancouver just got a little easier for all the vegans out there. In a huge victory for PETA, KFC Canada has agreed to offer vegan “unchicken” as a menu item at its Canadian chains. This move comes in response to PETA’s decades-long and passionate Kentucky Fried Cruelty campaign, which has spawned dramatic protests outside KFCs all around the world. PETA will now call off its Kentucky Fried Cruelty barrage in Canada, which had enjoyed the boost of celebrity endorsements from native Canadians Pamela Anderson and Ryan Gosling. Furthermore, KFC Canada has taken an additional step towards the humane by pledging to buy chickens only from suppliers who use gas as a method of slaughter, which PETA calls “the least cruel form of poultry slaughter ever developed.”
So far, 461 Canadian KFC stores have agreed to offer the vegan chicken on their menus. Meanwhile, PETA will continue its campaigns in the United States and around the world in a an effort to get the fast-food giant to make a global change for the better. The move, however, raises an interesting dilemma for us vegans: will any of us actually walk into a KFC and give them any money at all, even if it is for unchicken? Introducing vegan meat to the mass public is a great and progressive idea, and I’m willing to give a one-handed rounded of applause to KFC for taking any steps at all–after all, chicken is the entire basis of their business, so expecting them to stop selling it entirely is unrealistic–but I doubt I’ll be forking over any cash to a company whose near-unparalleled animal cruelty stretches far beyond Canada.
via: EarthFirst
I still agree that stopping killing at all is the real victory… I know people expected someone to say that but that is the truth. The only problem with “more humane” methods leads people to justify that it is ok to still kill. Nice makes people feel better about bad choices.
Anyway at least one sandwhich is vegan on the menu. Let’s move to two in exchange for one chicken.
Typical hypocritical vegan PETA member… you bi*ch whine and complain that KFC should do something and when they do it for you your reaction is “will any of us actually walk into a KFC and give them any money at all”.
YES. You should. You have an obligation to - you told KFC you wanted them to do something and they did it. Be happy. Celebrate your victory. Go buy an “unchicken” and show them your support. Prove that if sales can be made in Canada that they should expand to the US. Take your chicken eating friends in so they can buy some gassed chicken.
If you choose to continue avoiding a company that made the change you asked for it just proves that you didn’t really want that change, you only wanted to feel superior to them.
Still would not eat there! Your still supporting a evil company!
@ Rob: Who is a typical PETA member? I’ve re-read this post and the comments multiple times, and I don’t see anyone describing themselves as such. Unless you assume that all vegans and animal rights activists are PETA members, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
It’s mystifying to me why anyone would think this is a victory. I’ve commented on this story elsewhere, and, rather than craft an entirely new response, I’ll just paste my old one here:
“I hate to rain on everyone’s parade, but the fact is that this “victory” is no such thing. Controlled Atmosphere Killing is horrific, and there is little evidence that it actually reduces broken bones etc. There is, however, *ample* evidence that it will increase industry efficiency and productivity: i.e. allow animal exploiters to kill more animals and cheaper. In fact, this is one of the main arguments PETA uses, perversely, to sell it to them.
That a supposed animal rights organization would wage a multi-year campaign and spend donor dollars to advocate for a system of killing animals that will increase the number of animals killed and increase market share and profits for their exploiters is absurd. That so many people should blindly assume that this is a “victory for the animals” is deeply disturbing.
Further, the coordination with the animal exploitation industry to include marginal “vegan” items — assuming one skips the mayo, gets it in a wrap, and discounts the fact that it will be handled by workers directly alongside animal corpses — is meaningless. Not only does it fail to impact the economic and property status of animals — which is the root cause of animal suffering, not the particular nature of their suffering prior to slaughter — but it *bolsters* it. By making consumers of animal products feel better about their sporadic “compassionate choice” at the KFC counter, it helps to perpetuate a system that ought to be opposed in its entirety.
I’ve written about this stuff here, and others have written far more worthwhile stuff here.
Imagine if PETA used their millions and millions of dollars on aggressive vegan outreach, the underwriting of vegan restaurants, the actual work of undermining the commodity status of animals and thus furthering their hopes for emancipation.
But then, that stuff isn’t very sexy, and it’s lacking the “Victory for Teh Animalz!” soundbite closer needed for fundraising e-mails, isn’t it?”
Now that’s a great idea — PETA starting up and/or supporting many, many vegan/vegetarian restaurants. Give people choice — show them how good the food truly is — and you’ll win over many more. Love it.
To quote the KFC Canada president, Steve Langford who was said to be “delighted with the agreement”, “It will be nice to put this behind us,” Langford said. “Our preference is to have nothing negative attached to our brand.”
Notice how this isn’t about animal “welfare”. This is more so about… you guessed it, $$$$. KFC felt the pressure and doesn’t want to be associated with cruelty or a bad image of any kind. There company is now just as cruel, but because they listened to PETA’s “concerns” they are now no longer cruel? And us vegans should be lined up outside and trumpeting their ingenuity and compassion?
Screw PETA. I am asshamed that they are continually associated with veganism. I am a vegan and I do not agree with their practices, because I am for abolition, not petty “steps ahead” that raise sales in the industry.
I will never enter their doors, and I rarely did so even before I was vegan. My vegan dollar is going to go to buy wholesome foods made with the vegan collective in mind… at the health food store or at a vegan/vegetarian restaurant. Put your money to good use and support those who are really speaking for you. Don’t ever be fooled that a shady corporation as your best interest (or the animals) in mind.
My apologies for all the typos and spelling errors…
I completely agree with the luddite robot. KFC will only enjoy increased sales as customers feel less guilty (if they ever did before) about eating at the Colonel’s, which means more chickens will be killed than ever before.
Now PeTA is promoting KFC as cruelty free. Since when does an animal liberation group endorse and do free advertising for a chicken-killing company?
Or is PeTA suggesting, since the animals will supposedly suffer less, that it’s okay to go back to meat-eating? Should I start eating KFC again?
It’s worth noting that PeTA’s mission is to end animal exploitation and their campaign against KFC was not to get a vegan option on the menu but to reduce animal suffering.
It’s appalling that PeTA would agree to stop campaigning against KFC in Canada. This should only be the first step in the ongoing battle against animal exploitation and slaughter.
This “victory” is anything but.
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