I'm not sure if this came up in this HBO piece, but I believe Grandin has said the reason she was able to have such a big effect on the beef industry is because there are a couple really big beef buyers in the US (McDonalds, etc), and they mandated that the beef be slaughtered in a certain way.
She said that the situation is actually much worse for chickens (and I believe pigs also), but there's not the same concentration of buyers that makes it possible for a few corporations to affect the whole industry.
The guy who runs a nearby pet store told me that pigs feet used to be super-popular dog treats, but they are now too expensive - they are considered a delicacy for humans! He didn't really see it as a bad thing, more just that chefs in the US are trying to get people to be more adventurous.
Fun fact: lobster has only recently become a delicacy! A hundred years ago, longshoremen had clauses in their contracts that promised they'd only have to eat lobster a few times per week. Got that one from the New Yorker. |