Factory Farms Part I

Amongst all the issues in the food industry in the United States, one issue stands out as being the most inhumane and out of control; factory farming. This practice goes on in this country and has changed the food industry completely, yet many Americans are completely unaware that factory farms exist and even if they have heard the term before, do not know exactly what they practice nor how the animals being raised for slaughter are being treated. The definition of a factory farm as according to the ASPCA is as follows, “A factory farm is a large, industrial operation that raises large numbers of animals for food. Over 99% of farm animals in the U.S. are raised in factory farms, which focus on profit and efficiency at the expense of animal welfare.” So 99% of the meat we purchase are products of factory farms, but what does this mean in terms of quality of the product and the treatment of the animals? The facts are not reassuring, to say the least.
Factory farms have one goal and one goal only: to make money. In order to make as much money as possible, they aim to raise as many animals as possible to sell to companies producing animal food products. There is a huge demand for meat products in the United States between restaurants and grocery stores. With so much demand, and factory farms aiming for as much production as possible, this results in animals being squeezed in huge warehouses with little to no room to move and no access to the outdoors. Some animals are kept in cages, in windowless warehouses where there are no windows are sunlight. WearhouseThis deprives these animals of all natural experiences that they would have otherwise been exposed to. These huge warehouse settings filled with animals being raised for slaughter are breeding grounds for bacteria and disease.
Animals being raised on factory farms do not look like the typical chicken, cow or pig that we can all picture in our minds. They are genetically altered to produce more meat for the industry. For example, there have been instances or factory farmed chickens whose bodies have grown too big for their legs to support. The result is the early death from starvation because they are unable to walk to access the (unsatisfactory) food and water they are provided.
Not only are factory farms concerning for the well being of animals, but they are also unsanitary for humans consuming the animal products as well. Animals raised in factory farms are pumped with antibiotics to keep them from contracting bacteria, but the bacteria only continue to adapt forms which leads to E.Coli and salmonella.
Overall, this is just one more example of the flaws in the United States food industry. Although there are some laws in place to regulate factory farms, they are not enforced and factory farms have lead to the near extinction of local farms with animals being raised under humane circumstances. Farming Laws

http://www.aspca.org/animal-cruelty/factory-farms

Factory Farming: Misery for Animals

2 thoughts on “Factory Farms Part I

  1. dvr5279

    I hadn’t heard of the term factory farming until seeing this post, but I have seen a lot of videos by PETA and other animal agencies portraying what happens inside these “farms”. As an animal lover, it is very difficult to watch, and hard to believe too how little is being done about this issue, specially in terms of awareness. The food industry is good about hiding a lot of this type of information, and it is a shame to know that almost all the food products we consume come from places like this.

  2. Cecilia

    I completely agree that factory farming is a disgusting practice and it needs to be stopped–I’ve watched so many videos and a few documentaries on the cruel treatment of animals and, although we all talk about how disturbed we are if not only for the animal’s sake but for our own sake, we continue to buy food without realizing the source or understanding where our food comes from and how it is grown or raised. Organizations are very good at making us aware of factory farming but because it’s such a large industry I don’t know how it’s going to end.

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