The issue between animal exploitation and human needs have sparked a significant debate, but I believe that while animal cruelty should be abolished, the use of animals to fulfill essential human needs, such as food and research, remains essential. Animals should not suffer unnecessarily, but their role in human survival should not be overlooked, especially in terms of providing nutrition and supporting scientific progress.
On one hand, animal rights advocates argue that animals, as living beings, deserve to live without exploitation. The idea that animals can be utilized for food, clothing or research often results in practices that cause unnecessary pain and suffering. For example, factory farming, where animals are often kept in inhumane conditions while being subjected to dangerous experiments, raises serious ethical concerns. There is growing recognition that these practices are not only cruel but also avoidable through alternative methods such as plant-based diets or cruelty free research techniques.
However, human survival also often depends on the use of animals. Meat is a source of essential nutrients such as protein, iron and vitamins, which are difficult to obtain in sufficient amounts from a plant-based diet alone. In addition, medical research benefits greatly from animal testing. Mice, for example, play an important role in the development of disease treatments, contributing to the advancement of human health and well-being. The argument is that while cruelty should be avoided, responsible use of animals is necessary for advances in medicine and nutrition.
In my opinion, the most ethical approach is to maintain a balance. While the exploitation of animals should be minimized, it is also important to realize that, in some cases, the use of animals is necessary for human survival.