Cafo's Essay

Our nation’s industrial farming has become more than just feeding people; it has become a way for the food industry to make more money as human population continues to grow. Jonathan Safran Foer in his book Eating Animals, illustrates the effects factory farming has had on animals meant for human consumption. Furthermore, Foer asks many questions to the reader on what will it take for us to change our ways before we say enough is enough. The questions individuals need to be asking themselves are: how do we deal with the problem of factory farming, and what can people do to help solve these issues? Eric Schlosser in Fast Food Nation, also illustrates the animal abuse that goes unseen within the food industry as well as Bernard Rollin and Robert Desch in their article “Farm Factories”, both demonstrate what is wrong today with factory farming. Foer gives such examples of employees who work in slaughterhouses giving accounts of what goes on in the kill floors, and stories of employees who have witnessed thousands and thousands of cows going through the slaughter process alive (Animals 231). Namit Arora in the article “On Eating Animals”, as well as Michael Pollan in his book The Omnivore’s Dilemma, both address some of the issues that animals face once they hit the kill floor. The food industry has transformed not only how people eat, but also the negative effects our climate endures as a result of factory farming as illustrated by Anna Lappe in “The Climate Crisis at the End

even as nicely controlled, placed, and monitored, CAFOs can offer a low-fee supply of meat, milk, and eggs, because of inexperienced feeding and housing of animals, extended facility duration, and animal specialization (Molden, D. et al., 2007). while CAFOs are proposed in a neighborhood region, it's also argued that they may beautify the nearby financial machine and growth employment (Garnett, T., 2008). The results of the usage of nearby substances, feed, and cattle are argued to ripple throughout the monetary gadget, and extended tax charges will result in multiplied finances for colleges and infrastructure (Carrie,

Most people do not take a second thought about where their food came from. Whether it be chicken, steak, or pork, the meat was most likely raised in a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO). Hundreds to thousands of animals in horrid conditions from birth to slaughter at these factory farms. While damaging animals, CAFOs also damage the environment and the effects of these farms are worsening, with more farms resorting to these methods. Popular brands using these methods include global producers like Smithfield Foods and Tyson Foods. The United States Department of Agriculture defines a CAFO as an Animal Feeding Operation that houses “...more than 1000 animal units...” (nrcs.usda.gov). These “units” are later defined as “...an animal

Every year, an average American will consume approximately one hundred-twenty six pounds of meat. This meat can be traced back to factory farms where the animals are kept to be tortured to turn into a product for the appetite of humans. The terrible treatment these animals are forced to endure is the outcome of the greed and want for a faster production of their product. The industry of factory farming works to maximize the output of the meat while maintaining low costs,but will sadly always comes at the animals’ expense.

A poll conducted by the ASPCA revealed that 94% of Americans believe that production animals, specifically those raised for food, deserve to live a comfortable life free of cruelty and neglect. Despite this belief, many factory farm animals are abused and neglected in such ways that, if witnessed by consumers, would not be accepted. Over 99% of the United State’s farm animals live on factory farms that use them for means of profit, many of them violating the Animal Welfare Act and other laws put in place to protect the humane treatment of animals (ASPCA). This abuse is not limited to any specific type of farm animal. Although different animals are used for different purposes, they all share a common suffering and a need for humane care.

Most of the animals under this condition will develop illnesses, abnormalities, go insane, or die before they make it to the slaughterhouse (Alfie, 2010). In the U.S., over 10 billion animals are raised and killed each year for food about 9 billion chickens, 250 million turkeys, 100 million pigs, 35 million cows. The vast majority of these are not raised on small family farms but, rather, in the major agricultural facilities called?factory farms, also known as Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). The idea of factory farming originated in the 1920s with the discovery of vitamins A and D. When mixed with feed; farm animals were capable of growing without sunlight or exercise, which enabled them to be raised more efficiently in barns throughout the year (Fieser, 2015). Factory farming is a form of capitalism. Capitalism is an economic system that is privately controlled by owners for profit and self-interest (Fieser, 2015). Many philosophers have proposed the principle of equal consideration of interests, in some form or other, as a primary moral value; but, we shall see in more element shortly, not many of them have documented that this principle applies to members of other species as well as to our own. (Singer, 1989). In today society the consumer is much more interested in knowing how the chickens are raised, what they?ve been eating

Author, Michael Pollan believes the industrial food chain is hurting the environment, livestock and the consumers. First of all, he states, “The flood of extra nitrogen causes a wild growth of algae, and the algae take up all the oxygen in the water, smothering the fish.”(34) The extra water from the concentrated animal feeding organization may seem harmless but is actually very harmful to the other animals not in the CAFOs. Pollan also points out,”They’re made to eat forage,”...,”...and we’re making them eating grain...”(58). The cows are being fed something they weren't designed to eat and therefore getting sick. In addition to that, “Some of this bacteria are finding their way into our food...”(49). The bacteria bred by the CAFOs doesn't

Industrial agriculture is currently the predominant food production system in the United States. It is distinguished by large-scale monoculture, abundant use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and meat production in CAFOs. CAFOs are ‘Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations’, otherwise known as factory farms, which aim to cram as many animals in one space to boost efficiency and profit at the expense of animal suffering and environmental hazards.

Even though higher yields are met for demand and human consumption, factory farming is cruel to animals due to the fact animals are often subject to harsh living conditions, more susceptible to diseases and injuries and are treated inhumanely during the slaughtering process. Unfortunately, with an increase in human population worldwide, the strain on farmers to meet the demand increases as well. This in turn causes more animals to be subject to this cruelty.

The products of the factory farms can increase in quality by treating the animals humanely. Cleaning up after the animal waste and getting rid of the carcasses will create a better and healthier environment for the animals. Allowing the animals to eat, drink, and rest when at their choice will allow them to grow healthier and not deteriorate as they do now. The protein in the animals will be as it should in a naturally healthy animal, creating a better product.

Before we get started, I want to address and define a few key terms that I will be using throughout my speech. First term I want to address is factory farming. I may also refer to this as industrial farming or industrial agriculture. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, factory farming, or industrial agriculture is “the system of chemically intensive food production developed in the decades after World War II, featuring enormous single-crop farms and animal production facilities” (Union of Concerned Scientists, Industrial Agriculture). The next important key term is Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO). According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a Confined Animal Feeding Operation is a large operation where animals are kept and raised in confined situations (USDA, Animal Feeding Operations). The final term I want to define before starting is monoculture. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, monoculture is “the cultivation or growth of a single crop or organism especially on agriculture or forest land” (Merriam-Webster, monoculture).

For example, trends in per capita production of beef and pork in the U.S. has remained basically flat during the transition from family farms to CAFOs. Poultry production has increased for other reasons, and has continued to increase long after the industry was taken over by CAFOs. In fact red meat consumption has actually declined in recent years. Retail prices have also remained basically constant, after considering inflation. Any reduction in farm level costs of production have been offset by wider profit margins for food processors and retailers. Consumers have not benefitted economically from CAFOs.”(Missouri). Regardless, CAFOs have been successfully promoted as an economic development strategy for depressed rural communities. However, the promised employment turns out to be low-paying jobs, without benefits, that go primarily to people who move into CAFO communities. Few local people are willing to work under the dangerous and degrading conditions that exist in CAFOs. Most of the profits from factory farms go to outside corporate investors, not to local farmers or rural residents. Any local tax benefits are more than offset by higher costs to repair roads and bridges damaged by the large trucks that service CAFOs and by increased costs of education, health care, and law enforcement made necessary people by who move into communities to work in the CAFOs. Perhaps most important, the controversy that

“Recognize meat for what it really is: the antibiotic- and pesticide- laden corpse of a tortured animal.” says Ingrid Newkirk, co-founder of (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) PETA and animal activist. Factory farming should be banned or demolished thoroughly due to more harm than good that is being presented worldwide. Animal brutality, which can be found constantly and excessively throughout factory farms, is a deleterious act involving the animals and a diabolic act regarding human morals. The antic actions that proceed have an effect on both humans and the environment, as well as the unethical, inhumane treatment and the atrocious sufferings of animals. Besides factory farms offering a copious amount of cheaper food, factory farming is a detrimental agricultural practice to both humans and the environment. The way we receive our food is inhumane and unhealthy to humans and the environment, thus factory farms should be banned.

The concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO), it is also called the animal feeding operation, it is the process to keep and take care of the animals in a confined place. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identify CAFO as the farm that take care and grow up the animals in a confined place for at least 45 days in a year without the presence of any grass during their growing (Frumkin, 2016). The waste results from growing the animals could have environmental health hazards, CAFO helps to confine the animals in an isolated space and ensure waste disposal in the proper way by following the EPA regulations. The operation is necessary to avoid any air pollution by the animal wastes that could release harmful gases like ammonia and

You shouldn’t have to be an animal lover to get upset over the treatment of these animals. 99% of animals raised in farms are raised in factory farms, and of those, 97% are tortured. On top of that, most of the animals do not receive antibiotics for the abuse they go through.