The clash between cultural preservation and environmental sustainability has become more visible than ever in a world increasingly connected by globalisation.
The recent controversy surrounding The Great Escape festival’s decision to drop the Faroe Islands as a partner - due to concerns over the traditional pilot whale hunt known as “the grind”- has ignited accusations of “ethnocentric ignorance.”
Faroese punk band Joe and The Shitboys, whose frontman Fríði Djurhuus is a vocal vegan, took to Instagram to challenge the festival’s decision, calling it an act of cultural ignorance rather than a meaningful step toward environmental progress.
Slaughtered
This debate presents a nuanced dilemma: can long-standing cultural practices like the grind coexist with modern environmental ethics, or does globalisation risk erasing them altogether?
In a world where sustainability and conservation take priority, the challenge lies in understanding whether traditions like the grind, rooted in remote communities, have a place in today’s global discourse.
The grind, or Grindadráp, is a traditional pilot whale hunt that has been practised in the Faroe Islands for centuries. This small, autonomous archipelago, located in the North Atlantic Ocean, has relied on the grind as both a cultural rite and a source of sustenance for hundreds of years.
For the Faroese people, it is a sustainable food source that provides fresh, local meat without relying on imports or industrial farming methods, which can often involve high environmental costs.
Renowned for its intense imagery, the grind involves herding pods of pilot whales or other cetaceans into one of the 26 designated bays across the islands, where they are slaughtered using a spinal lance.
Ethnocentric
The method is intended to cause immediate unconsciousness by cutting the blood supply to the brain, though the practice itself is often criticised as barbaric due to the graphic images of blood-filled waters.
While none of the hunted species are endangered, the ethical debate surrounding the grind has drawn significant international attention, particularly in a world increasingly focused on animal welfare and conservation.
Aligning such traditional practices with modern environmental values is challenging, especially when the global gaze turns to small, isolated communities like the Faroese.
Enter Joe and The Shitboys, a punk band from the Faroe Islands, have become a somewhat unexpected voice in this international conversation. Fronted by Fríði Djurhuus, a vocal committed vegan, the band is known for its unapologetic stance on societal and environmental issues.
Despite Djurhuus' personal opposition to the grind, he also stands firmly against The Great Escape festival’s decision to drop the Faroe Islands as a partner. He sees it as a form of “ethnocentric ignorance”, implying that global institutions are imposing their own values without understanding the complexities of local traditions.
Compare that to industrial meat. Animals are living their whole lives in close confinement, often being tortured on top of this.
Ethical
In response to the festival's move, Djurhuus has been outspoken: “Pro tip to anyone judging another country for something you’re not accustomed to: do your research, ask a local. The internet is in your pocket 24/7.”
His statement highlights a core issue - international festivals and global voices risk dismissing vital cultural conversations in the name of environmentalism.
In 2023, the Faroese government reported the killing of 897 whales and 10 dolphins, highlighting the ongoing nature of the grind as a cultural practice. This figure contrasts with the alarming event in 2021 when over 1,400 dolphins were killed in a single day, raising significant international concern and criticism.
Sjurdur Skaale, a Danish MP for the Faroe Islands, acknowledged that killing white-sided dolphins is "legal, but it's not popular." After visiting Skalabotnur beach to engage with locals, he noted that "people were furious" about recent hunts.
Nonetheless, he defended the hunt, asserting that it is "humane" when conducted properly. Such drastic numbers and mixed local sentiments underscore the complexity and intensity of the ethical debate surrounding the grind, particularly in the face of global scrutiny.
Stressful
While proponents argue for its cultural significance and sustainability, these figures illustrate the need for careful management and consideration of animal welfare within traditional practices. Balancing cultural heritage with ethical responsibility remains a pivotal challenge in the discourse surrounding whaling in the Faroe Islands.
Djurhuus’ position as both a Faroese vegan and a critic of The Great Escape’s decision adds a unique complexity to the debate.
While he is personally opposed to the consumption of animal products, he argues that removing the grind without offering a viable alternative, like plant-based diets, would lead to increased reliance on environmentally destructive industrial meat.
His defence of the grind isn’t centred around promoting animal consumption, but about questioning whether the alternatives - factory farming - are truly better.
“The whales are free their whole lives. Their death, while following a stressful chase, is quick. There is no evidence to support their endangerment,” Djurhuus explains.
Imperialism
His statement also nods to the transparency of this practice, noting that the meat is distributed freely among the locals, with strict regulations in place to ensure sustainability.
"If you remove the grind, you increase industrial meat consumption. If you remove the grind in the Faroe Islands, you increase the suffering in the world."
This moral complexity raises important questions about how we define what is humane and sustainable. While the grind may seem inhumane to outsiders, it offers a stark contrast to the alternative industrial farming methods that rely on confined spaces, high greenhouse gas emissions and widespread animal suffering.
The Faroe Islands, like many other remote communities, have found themselves caught in the crossfire of globalisation. Conservation efforts, often driven by international organisations or Western perspectives, are increasingly scrutinising local practices such as whaling.
Such scrutiny can become a form of cultural imperialism, where global sustainability standards are imposed on a homogenous level, without taking local context into account.
Vital
Djurhuus and others have referred to this as “ethnocentric ignorance,” where well-meaning environmental advocacy perhaps overlooks the nuances of regional practices.
The grind, for example, can be sustainable if kept within local needs, providing a low-impact, communal food source. Yet, to many Western observers, it is seen only through the lens of animal welfare, ignoring the broader environmental benefits it offers when compared to industrialised meat production.
“We cannot erase local traditions without considering the consequences,” says Djurhuus. “Look at the world you're trying to bring to the Faroe Islands.”
The global conversation around sustainability often revolves around universal values - conservation, carbon reduction and humane treatment of animals. However it’s important to consider who gets to define what’s sustainable.
For Faroe Islanders, the grind represents a sustainable practice that aligns with their way of life. It reduces reliance on imported goods, cuts down on carbon emissions and provides a vital food source in a remote environment.
Eat
Conservation groups, such as Sea Shepherd, have been vocal critics of the grind, though the Faroese perspective states that their traditional whaling practice works relatively in harmony with nature.
They maintain that pod numbers are closely monitored, with hunts only taking place with stable species and not those who are endangered. Critics, on the other hand, argue that regardless of sustainability, the practice is outdated in a world increasingly focused on animal rights.
As Djurhuus iterates, this is not a commercial practice. The meat is allegedly shared freely among locals and distributed to community institutions, ensuring that as little is wasted as possible.
“Nobody is doing it for profit, and although it’s not illegal, selling your share is strongly discouraged”, he states. This communal approach contrasts sharply with the profit-driven motives of industrial meat farming, where waste and inefficiency are widespread.
“If there is deemed to be an excess amount of meat in a community, the pod is let go”, he explains. “That being said, even if it’s a very small amount of whales being killed by the Faroese it’s still more than what the Faroese people eat”, he states.
Overproduction
“I hope they lower this amount. Compare that to industrial meat. Animals are living their whole lives in close confinement, often being tortured on top of this”.
Meanwhile, a Greenpeace report has revealed that ‘if left unregulated, the meat and dairy sector alone is projected to heat up the world by an additional 0.32°C by 2050.’
In addition to these emissions, industrial meat production is responsible for deforestation, water pollution, and biodiversity loss.
For example, cattle farming in the Amazon has been linked to 80 per cent of the deforestation in the region, destroying habitats for endangered species and contributing to global carbon emissions. In contrast, the grind is a localised, low-emission practice.
With a shift in meat and dairy overproduction and consumption, the Greenpeace report reveals potential for a cooling of 0.12°C by 2050. In turn, this would see a 37 per cent reduction in anticipated heating of 0.32°C.
Stifling
By excluding the Faroe Islands as a partner, The Great Escape festival ultimately has not only removed a platform for Faroese musicians, but also risks silencing an important conversation about the balance between tradition and environmental ethics.
Festivals like The Great Escape are more than just cultural showcases - they are platforms for dialogue. Dropping a country partner over controversial practices prevents the possibility of constructive conversations about sustainability.
Excluding the Faroe Islands also creates a missed opportunity for collaboration. Rather than isolating the Faroese over the grind, there is room for dialogue about optimising sustainability measures or transitioning to more humane methods.
Cutting cultural ties risks alienating communities who could otherwise contribute meaningfully to global sustainability goals.
The controversy surrounding the grind is emblematic of a broader issue in global sustainability discourse. When we exclude certain cultures from the conversation, we risk stifling progress.
Heritage
Cultural traditions, even those that may seem controversial or outdated, can offer valuable insights into local sustainability practices that might be overlooked in the rush to impose global standards.
The grind raises important questions: Should we be imposing a universal model of sustainability, or should we seek to learn from diverse, locally informed practices?
As globalisation continues to blur borders and cultures, we must be careful not to let it erase traditions that are sustainable in their own right. The future of sustainability requires dialogue, not dismissal.
For the Faroese, the grind is a symbol of cultural heritage, a sustainable food practice and now, a focal point in the global debate over how we balance tradition and environmental progress.
Sensitivity
Rather than condemning practices that may seem foreign or controversial, we should be fostering inclusive conversations that respect local contexts while working towards shared goals of sustainability.
This is not a call to promote animal consumption but rather a consideration of local practices, with the understanding that sustainable methods must be adhered to in agriculture.
As Djurhuus states, “If you remove the grind in the Faroe Islands, you increase industrial meat consumption. If you remove the grind in the Faroe Islands, you increase the suffering in the world.”
In a globalised world, inclusive dialogue and honouring local traditions foster cultural respect and sensitivity, all of which are as important as ever in the quest for environmental sustainability.
This Author
Maddy Smith is a freelance journalist with a passion for environmental issues and sustainable urban development.