Emotional video
There is a subtle, bitter irony in the recent campaign launched by the Capellino Foundation who, with a beautifully striking phrase, based more on emotion than reason, peremptorily states that "Nothing justifies hunting." This is supported by an equally emotional, expertly crafted video, circulated on major TV networks and social media, and also linked to a petition, also promoted by the same Foundation, urging Parliament to take action against the bill amending Law 157 currently under discussion. A well-orchestrated communication effort, designed to appeal to the public's emotions and reiterate an absolute, clear, and seemingly moral message. Yet, behind that striking phrase lies a contradiction so glaring as to be almost grotesque. The Capellino Foundation, in fact, is the sole owner of the Almo Nature brand, a company that produces and sells meat- and fish-based dog and cat food. Not just chicken, beef, or salmon, but also wild boar, venison, duck, and tuna: ingredients that, in nature, all come from animals hunted or raised for slaughter.
The contradiction
In other words, those who demonize hunting today build their economic activity and their profit—absolutely legitimate, mind you—and thus the very ability to finance their campaigns, on the consumption of other animals. The difference? Just a question of perception. This is an aspect that Federcaccia emphasized immediately upon the launch of the campaign in question and relaunched in the following days together with Fondazione Una. We live in an era in which man's relationship with animals has been overturned: wild animals, some species in particular, are untouchable totems, bordering on veneration; domestic animals are humanized, dressed up, carried in strollers, treated like children. They are no longer companions or helpers in daily activities, but emotional projections, emotional surrogates, sometimes even substitutes for human relationships.
Armchair animalism
Armchair animalism, the kind of viral campaigns and outraged posts, forgets that life in nature has always been a balance between prey and predator, between birth and death. Hunting, the real kind—regulated, selective, respectful of the environment—is part of this balance. It involves management, knowledge, culture. It's a way of experiencing the land that presupposes respect and expertise, not cruelty. The average citizen, now largely urban and urbanized, far from the woods and countryside, has lost touch with the food supply chain and natural cycles. Pet food aside, those who are outraged by hunting often have no qualms about putting meat packaged with reassuring images, presented in an "ethical" and aseptic manner, on the shelves of large retailers. Yet, behind every steak on our table or every can in our dog or cat's bowl, there is always the life of an animal, only the moral responsibility is diluted and invisible, delegated to others.
What does hunting mean?
A convenient contradiction that smacks of moral inconsistency and well-packaged marketing. The hunter, however, faces reality without hypocrisy. He knows that every harvest means a life cut short, and for this very reason he respects the prey, nature, and the rules. He knows how to distinguish between conservation and extermination, between necessity and waste. Defending hunting doesn't mean disliking or, worse, despising animals, but rather recognizing their place and ours in the natural cycle. It means accepting the responsibility of an ancient gesture that, if performed ethically and with moderation, contributes to maintaining ecosystems, managing species, and understanding the local area. It is a direct and honest relationship with nature, conscious and unmediated, far from the comfortable illusions of those who believe a hashtag or a Facebook share is enough to be "ethical" and clear their conscience. Perhaps it would be time for everyone, companies and consumers, to consider the coherence of their own choices before launching moralistic campaigns. Because, in the end, nothing justifies hypocrisy (source: Federcaccia Brescia-Cacciapensieri).
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