Negative Effects Of Industrial Farming

Factory farming describes how large modern farms produce food in large quantities for a small cost. Factory farms, however, pollute the air by releasing harmful gases. They practice deforestation to claim more farmland. Factory farms pollute our waters to keep costs low. Factory farming is harming the environment

Horrigan, L., Lawrence, R., & Walker, P. (2002). How sustainable agriculture can address the environmental and human health harms of industrial agriculture. Environmental Health Perspective. In this article, Horrigan agrees with Pollan that there is definitely a problem with using corn-based feed for animals who are to then be fed to human beings. Specifically, Horrigan examines both animal feed and the danger of other forms of pollution which have an impact on human food production and eventual consumption. The authors make the claim that animal consumption itself is highly dangerous and perhaps should be universally abolished in order to help the environment in terms of pollutants and to help humans in their health concerns.

During the late 19th and all of the 20th century many events took place affecting the current situation our world is facing today.  The broad term, industrialization, refers to the development of goods produced by machinery and the discovery of new energy resources.  Industrialization had many positive and negative effects on the citizens of the world during these two centuries.  The events under industrialization could be said to have fallen victim to the “snowball effect” and been a cause of the situation that our world is facing today.

In the middle ages, farmers came upon the issue of barren fields after their repeated use. By planting countless crops of corn in one area of land for decades, the soil became depleted of the nutrients necessary to grow the crop (The Editors of…”). Granted, the three field system became a popular method to combat this inconvenience, but throughout history, humans constantly need to solve the issues they created themselves. During the California Gold Rush, some 100,000 non-natives rushed to San Francisco and the surrounding area in the hopes of striking literal gold. However, commercial gold mining is the largest source of mercury release, a liquid metal that causes nervous system failure, kidney damage, and even death in humans and other organisms alike (“The Gold Rush of 1849”). Even disease contamination of surface-level water is caused by humans, whether by mistake or otherwise, affects not only those bathing and cooking with the water, but those living in the water - fish, aquatic plants, etc. Even by making valiant efforts to reduce our use of coal and oil by converting to nuclear and solar energy, the waste products cause more harm than good. The land that we use again and again is treated poorly and without much thought as agriculturalism becomes a larger part of survival throughout history.

Factory farms increase production and help feed the world. Due to an increase in population factory farms holds the world’s food supply in check. Factory farms produce more animals in a quicker matter than any other place. Factory farms help contain waste and help stop some

While the environment is currently having some major impacts, rural communities are being equally affected. Some of the impacts that transpire from factory farming include “an increase in respiratory, neurobehavioral, and mental illness among the residents of communities next to factory farms” (Factory Farming). The mass amount production that is being done leads to exhaust fumes being released into the environment. Another

Industrialization was a time period where the United States experienced prosperity and many advancements in technology. Nevertheless, while many beneficial events came from this time period, there were also numerous negative outcomes. This can be seen three decades after The Civil War, where the idea that anyone could rise upwards in society with the use of hard work, thriftiness, and a bit of luck, became widespread among American citizens. However, this idea was only proven correct in individual cases, as the majority of the working class remained in the same financial position despite their strong work ethic.

Factory farms have become an ingrained part of our society. They are depended on by people daily. However, it is not generally a fact people ponder often. A large portion of the average Americans food comes from factory farms. What individuals also do not realize is the damage these farms are doing to them daily. However, recently it has become a more prominent problem that many Americans and individuals around the world have started to recognize and raise concern about. Many are now considering this fact every day. Factory farms, specifically in the U.S. are a growing social problem that contributes to animal abuse, the deterioration of our environment, and damage to the local economy.

These potential costs come in the form of environmental hazards and damages, such as contaminated water and air pollution (Walsh, 2013)2. EPA estimated in 2004 that 20% of man-made air pollutants from methane were a result from livestock, primarily cows (Air quality)3. Poor sanitation of animal waste has also been linked to food contamination and outbreaks of salmonella, E. coli and various other food-borne illnesses. In April 2009 through August 2010, a strain of Swine Flu, H1N1, was believed by scientists to have originated in industrialized farms overcrowded with pigs (Farm sanctuary, 2016)4. This pandemic was believed to have killed as many as 18,000 people according to the CDC. The overuse of antibiotics and growth hormones used to protect livestock from the rampant spread of disease, due to cramped quarters, and to help beef up production, are also beginning to show strong correlations to an increase in several cancers, antibiotic resistant “super bugs”, early onset of puberty in children, depression, brain damage, respiratory issues, birth defects, miscarriage and obesity (Other health risks of the meat industry)5. The costs to sanitize water and treat illness is tremendous and only

One of the primary cons of factory farming is that the breeding of cattle in unnatural, unsanitary and artificial settings along with the injection of additives and antibiotics, greatly lessens the quality of the food produced. The antibiotics can even harm the human body as the body learns to produces antibiotic resistant cells (Miller). Harm to human health has time and time again been stressed as an effect of factory farming. The cattle and poultry can breed diseases staying in a small and filthy space which has a high chance of being passed on and contaminating

As the soil becomes more and more polluted with these toxins, it becomes unsustainable. Therefore, land that would have remained fertile for centuries through the commonsense farming of our ancestors, is being ruined by farming controlled by big corporations whose sole interest is in immediate short term profit (Goodall 38). Industrialized livestock farming with thousands of animals crammed into small factory spaces is responsible for numerous bacterial and viral infections such as E.coli., Avian bird flu, Mad cow disease, Salmonella, and many more. Therefore, conventional farmers use antibiotics to keep these animals alive. This over use of antibiotics is causing the creation of new, resistant strains of deadly diseases that kill people and animals. Disease is actually caused by the bad practices, shortcuts, and antibiotic resistance. This has the opposite effect of what was intended and also costs farmers millions of dollars every year instead of saving money. Unfortunately, conventional agriculture experts recommend these monocultural farming practices in the name of quick, mass production.

I am writing to propose to you- the USDA- a solution to the exigent issue of how industrial agriculture is hurting our environment. As I’m sure you're aware, industrial forms of agriculture are harmful to the soil, deplete many nutrients from the environment, and produce harmful chemical wastes. I am here today to propose a method of moving agricultural efforts to more local and sustainable ways of farming.

The corporate food industry and industrialization of agriculture today have revolutionized the growing and buying of food for farmers and consumers. To see how it has transformed the system, one can look at the effects industrial agriculture has caused. Economically, it creates million of jobs that keep people employed and keeps food affordable, but has regrettably created subsidies too. In terms of health, mass production of agriculture has created new health risks that endanger the lives of both producers and consumers, as well as encourage bad eating. As a result, the industrialization of agriculture has both good and bad effects because it feeds the population cost-efficiently while benefiting the economy, but risks people’s health.

I grew up in a small farm town of Ripon, California, which is in the heart of the central valley, California. The Central Valley of California is rich with generations of family farms and growing up my self on an Almond tree farm I am seeing everyday hand in hand what it takes to operate a farm and how much hard work and dedication my family puts in day to day. I know that water is a very essential part to our crops and with the blessed country that we live in we have an incredible unlimited amount of water access and any part and times of the day. There is one downfall that has been an on going problem with local farmers and farmers across the world and that is water pollution. Farming operations can and will contribute nutrient pollution when not properly handled. Excess use of fertilizer and other animal manure can impact the water quality hen it rains or when the water and soil containing those components was into the ground water and into the homes of our communities.

Agriculture is the primary source of food; however modern, intensive agriculture and agricultural methods are placing a stain on the environment, resulting in contamination of drinking water, degradation of soil and reduction of biodiversity.