Industrial Farming And Its Effects On The Environment

In this documentary, Kip Andersen ventures out to research the sustainability of a meat and dairy industry. As he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today, he also investigates why the world's leading environmental organizations are too afraid to talk about it. This documentary reveals the negative environmental impact large-scale factory farming has on our planet, and offers a path to global sustainability for a growing population. While touching on pathos by discussing the treatment of animals, Andersen focuses on the logos aspect. By utilizing facts and statistics, all of which are backed by credible research, this leads viewers to not only question whether taste and convenience is worth the the mistreatment these animals

A way that Traditional agriculture damages the environment is by killing the topsoil and subsoil. Also it kills pest that are not harmful for the crops. An example would be ladybugs who are affected when the pesticide from the plants runoff and go to the ladybugs habitat and get on their food and that's how traditional affects them. Also traditional agriculture uses a lot of chemicals.It also affects different species of birds. It is also harder to harvest than sustainable. It can even affect us, when the level is high on the plants the higher is the chance of getting ill , like cancer. So people who live close to these farm lands that use traditional agriculture have a chance of having cancer going through their family generations.

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

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.

Every year, over 58 billion farm animals are killed by humans for food production, and this astounding number does not even include sea creatures. This is known as factory farming – the system of inhumane raising of livestock for the purpose of supplying food for human consumption in the cheapest way possible. It is argued that factory farming should be illegal and banned worldwide not only because of its cruelty towards animals but also because the low quality meat can produce harmful diseases and major health concerns to consumers.

Changes in size and number of American farms has many effects on communities, farms, and the environment. Large farms surrounding cities put heavy economic and social costs on communities. These communities don’t have a strong local economy because farmers go elsewhere to find the cheapest prices for their needs. Money doesn’t circulate and can increase the gap between rich and poor. Large farms also accumulate more debt due to pricey farm equipment and the inability to effectively utilize any cost-cutting alternatives. This places less priority on spending to be more sustainable which means continued use of chemicals and poor topsoil quality. The environment is heavily impacted by larger farms not having the ability to implement environmentally

While industrial farming has its many benefits, there are many negative outcomes to this particularly "new" way of farming. Industrial farming is introducing an innovative way of food production through the latest technologies, and as all of this is happening the world we live in is dying, we are dying and these animals are dying. So then how is industrial farming defined? According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, industrial farming is defined as a farm on which large numbers of livestock are raised indoors in conditions intended to maximize production at minimal cost. This is a big problem, this way of farming is seen all over the world, and some countries are facing the severity of industrial farming worse than others.

The cattle industry produces vast amounts of strain in the environment. It is energy inefficient, pollutes water, occupies many acres of land, and deteriorates the health of the people who abuse its consumption. The government subsidizes this industry. Therefore, the price paid for meat doesn’t reflect the environmental hazards involved in the process. In order to protect our health and the health of the environment we should pay close attention to our food choices and make sure we don’t support industries that degrade it.

     It also needs to be pointed out that meat production industry is highly unfriendly to the environment. It has been proved that the results of this mindless actions are extremely harmful to the whole planet: trees are lost in creating farms for animal food, land is taken away from wildlife, additional erosion is caused, topsoil is lost, groundwater is wasted, and pesticide is excessively used. In fact, one chicken farm uses as much water as a little city. Few may know that this industry, compared to others, causes the biggest pollution at all.

Mass food production has become an increasing issue in the world. It was created to help solve the lack of nutrition problem that was created by the staggering population growth of the human race. Short term it has solved the issue it was created for. But there are inherent risks that come with this type of food production. Mass food production causes a great deal of stress on the environment. The land, air, and water in the areas used for this production are slowly being destroyed. The problem does not just reside with feedlots; there are also issues with the fish farming industry as well as the agriculture industry.

“The UN along with other agencies reported that not only did livestock play a major role in global warming, it is also the leading cause of resource consumption and environmental degradation destroying the planet today.” (Andersen & Kuhn, 2014). It is important, then, to consider the effects of animal agriculture on the environment. This essay will argue that animal agriculture is harmful to the environment in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, water- and land use, and that policies in the form of subsidizing plant foods, altering the Canada Food Guide, and creating plant based nutrition coaching and support groups should be enacted to solve these problems. The first section of this paper will outline scholarly literature on the effects of animal agriculture on the environment. This paper will then discuss why a plant based diet is also suitable for optimal health. Finally, this essay will conclude with an overview of the various social policies that must be executed to solve these environmental issues.

Global meat production rose to a new peak of 308.5 million tons in 2013, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a more than fourfold increase over the last five decades. Even more startlingly, meat production has grown 25-fold since 1800 (Horrigan, Lawerence &Walker, 2002). Globally, agriculture utilizes nearly 70 per cent of the world 's available freshwater. One-third of that percentage is used to grow grains to feed to livestock (ECOS, 2014). While the global meat industry provides food and a livelihood for billions of people, it also has significant environmental and health consequences for the planet. Over half of the water used in meat production

Have you ever asked yourself why is sustainable agriculture is so much better than industrial agriculture? Or what 's in the milk i drink or the meat that i eat? Every time you sit down for a meal containing meat or dairy you’re dining with unknown carcinogens, bacteria, and other contaminants that can accumulate in your body and remain there for years. A carcinogen is a substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis which is the formation of cancer. commercial/industrial farming products are loaded with bacteria,

The impact that meat productions have on the environment varies due to the variety of agricultural practices, unsustainable and sustainable, employed around the world (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States, 1995). All practices of agriculture have a variety of effects on the environment. Some effects have been found to have an assortment that have been affiliated with the meat production are: air pollution, land consumption: deforestation and over-grazing, pollution through fossil fuel usage: transport and processing, and water pollution: runoff containing manure (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States, 1995). “Livestock production contributes 40 percent of global agricultural gross domestic product, provides income for more than 1.3 billion people and uses on-third of the world’s fresh water.” (Walsh, 2013). In North America a cow consumes about 165.4 pounds to 661.4 pounds of dry grass or grain to only produce 2.2 pounds of protein (Walsh, 2013). The cows that emit carbon output in the forms of methane gas from their manure, reducing carbon absorption in the soil results when forested area are converted into pasture – major soil erosion (Walsh, 2013). Over grazing or “ranch induced deforestation” by the cows can cause soil degradation and destroy and kill plant life, making it difficult to use (Walsh, 2013). Unless well

Regardless of whether or not pollution increases as population increases, (Edwin Dolin strongly refutes this principle that population increases lead to increases in pollution) the statistics nonetheless illustrate that increased population, and now what many consider overpopulation, has without a doubt led to continuingly deteriorating environmental conditions. Especially since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, new technologies have enabled cultures and communities, initially in the new territories traversed by the Europeans, to expand in populace: “we are forever realizing that the Industrial Revolution has changed forever the relationship between humanity and nature. There is a real concern that by the middle or the end of the 21st century human activities will have changed the basic conditions that have allowed life to thrive on earth.” (Internet 1) These basic conditions include the earth’s natural climate and the depletion and manipulation of its natural resources. Such expansion (since the Industrial Revolution) and creation of new establishments began, on a small scale, to effect the environment in many ways. The first element of the environment that was immediately effected was forests. Massive deforestation occurred, and still does so today, as land was cleared to make way for new towns. Moreover, many construction projects also used wood from trees, not to mention other commercial uses, such as paper, and fuel. Deforestation may