Rebeca Castaneda /
11/27/2012 /
Professor Sarah Sorenson
ENGL 1010 – Fall 2012
Position Research Paper: Factory Farming
Factory farming is raising livestock in a small, confined area on a large scale for the purpose of supplying food for human consumption. It is argued that factory farming is extremely cruel for the animals involved and that there are better ways for food to be produced. The food produced by factory farms may be cheaper, but the chances are it is also of lower quality. The animals inside these factories are not fed on a particularly healthy diet. Factory farming may lead to the production of cheaper meat produced, but this could be bad for society when the health consequences can result fatal. Factory farming should be banned worldwide because not only is it cruel toward innocent animals, it also results in economic problems and major health concerns.
Factory farms have portrayed cruelty to animals in a way that is horrific; unfortunately the public often does not see what really goes on inside these “farms.” In order to understand the conditions present in these factory farms, it must first be examined what the animals in these factory farms are eating. Some of the ingredients commonly used in feeding the animals inside factory farms include the following: animal byproducts, plastic, drugs and chemicals, excessive grains, and meat from members of the same species. (Adams, 2007) These animals are tortured and used for purely slaughter in order to be fed on. Typically large numbers of animals are kept in closed and tight confinements, having only little room to move around, if even that. These confinements can lead to suffocation and death and is not rare. Evidence from viral videos, usually not shown to the public, show many of the employees working in factory farms do not give in consideration the abuse and suffering they put on these innocent animals. Recently, politicians in Iowa bowed to corporate pressure when they passed a law designed to stifle public debate and keep consumers in the dark (Carlson, 2012). Instead of confronting animal cruelty in factory farms, the top egg and pork producing state, is now in business of covering it up. Many people indeed have a different view on how animals inside these factory farms are treated (Farrell, 2007). Advertisements today depict food as coming from small family farms and this is what the public believes because others do not give them a reason not to, but that is not the case.
People who support industrial farming most of the time claim that sustainable agriculture is not economically viable. People prefer large-scale factory farming as the most efficient way to produce huge quantities of cheap food because hidden costs and subsidies allow factory farms to produce food that is sold to consumers at prices that do not emulate the true costs of production. (The Issues: Economics, n.d.) These costs are not paid for by the owners of factory farms. Hidden costs are paid by consumers. There are those who appreciate the benefit of being able to pay less for their milk, eggs and meat, as a result of the large-scale production involved in factory farming (The Pros and Cons: A Debate On Things That Matter, n.d.). What they do not know is that taxpayers fund government subsidies, which go primarily to large industrial farms. Jobs are lost and wages are driven down, as corporate consolidation bankrupts small businesses and factory farms pay unethically low wages for dangerous, undesirable work (The Issues: Factory Farming, n.d.). Some may also argue that factory farming is the only way to meet the growing demands for food in the world today, but that is not true.
The food produced by factory farms is cheaper, but the chances of it being lower quality are high. Factory farms are breeding grounds for virulent diseases, which can spread to the wider community (Sayre, 2009). Not just in the food, but also in the water, the air, and the bodies of farm workers and their families. Before they are slaughtered, cows are often pumped with chemicals and hormones (The Pros and Cons: A Debate on Things That Matter, n.d.). The poor conditions inside of factory farms cause animals to become incredibly ill and the antibiotics used to prevent the spread of diseases in these crowded conditions help, but other times they inject these animals with just anything. It is unnatural to think that the animals being consumed have been injected with chemicals and other harmful drugs. Excessive waste created by large concentrations of animals is handled in ways that can pollute the air and water (The Issues: Factory Farming, n.d.). Nutrients and bacteria from that waste can also contaminate waterways, disturbing the aquatic ecosystems.
Cruelty toward animals, huge economic problems, and major health concerns are just three reasons why factory farming should be banned worldwide. Many people argue that factory farming is the only way to meet growing demands for food in the world today. However, factory farming is just not necessary, especially when it comes down to killing innocent animals in order to feed people. A way to put an end to the factory farming system is by buying our food from smaller, sustainable farms. These businesses still aim to profit from their labor, but that’s not their only objective. (The Issues: Factory Farming, n.d.) They simply will not sacrifice the health of the land or the quality of food simply to make a few extra dollars.
References
Adams M. (October 8, 2007). Factory Animal Farms Produce Meat Through Routine Torture and Environmental Destruction. NaturalNews.com. Retrieved from
Carlson C. (March 20, 2012). The Ag Gag Laws: Hiding Factory Farm Abuses From Public Scrutiny. The Atlantic. Retrieved from
Farrell R. (June 10, 2007). Factory Farms: Are They Good for Consumers? The Real Truth: a Magazine Restoring Plain Understanding. Retrieved from
The Issues: Economics. (n.d.). Retrieved from
The Issues: Factory Farming. (n.d.). Retrieved from
The Pros and Cons: A Debate on Things That Matter. (n.d.) Retrieved from
Sayre L. (February/March, 2009). The Hidden Link Between Factory Farms and Human Illness. Mother Earth News: The Original Guide to Living Wisely. Retrieved from