In early 2007, Burger King, under pressure from animal rights activists including People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), announced it would start purchasing pork and eggs from suppliers that use cage-free animal management methods. In its announcement, Burger King stated it would also give purchasing preference to poultry suppliers that use or switch to "controlled atmosphere stunning," which is regarded by some to be a more humane method of slaughtering poultry.
a. Discuss how the change in Burger King's pork and egg supplier policy is likely to affect the prices Burger King pays for pork and eggs.
b. Evaluate the ethics of the new supplier policy from the point of view of a Burger King patron, assuming that the new supplier policy will likely increase prices charged for pork and egg food products.
c. Evaluate the ethics of the new policy from the point of view of a supplier who will now face higher costs in providing Burger King with pork or egg products.