Animals are present in almost every aspect of human life: our meals, our clothing, our entertainment industries, and yet they live their lives in the dark. Sometimes their suffering is hidden behind the walls of factory farms, where billions of animals live short, painful lives every year.

Since the production of meat is, quite literally, destroying the planet, it must be severely curtailed. It ought to be treated like tobacco, another deadly and unnecessary habit - though, to be fair, tobacco use is not an existential threat to humanity. Calculations should be made as to the environmental, health and economic costs the livestock industry imposes on the world and it should be taxed accordingly.

The problem for the dairy industry -- and for all modern animal agriculture -- is that many people find their practices disturbing and unacceptable. And "educating" consumers by showing them exactly what happens on farms is hardly going to help.

Meat isn't what it used to be. What's typically sold in supermarkets isn't what our ancestors ate. And it sure isn't as healthy. But there's no need to despair. If you pay a little extra, these days you can find organic, traditionally-farmed meat.

Canada's food and agriculture industries have launched a public relations blitz designed to build public trust and confidence in Canadian food and farming. But even a cursory look at how this campaign is being conducted and who's behind it suggests consumers should cast a skeptical eye on its claims. To put it simply, Farm & Food Care Canada is not what it seems.

Imagine a not-too-distant future where the survival of mankind hangs in the balance because modern medicine's frontline defenders -- antibiotics -- are being outsmarted by deadly microscopic enemies. I'm talking about the emergence of so-called "superbugs." They're real, they exist, and if you eat non-organic chicken, then you're all the more at risk.