When we hear the word, factory, we usually envision enormous machineries, loud noise, busy workstations, and messy environment. Now, imagine the meat and poultry you eat, came from factories instead of the traditional farms, which we call factory farming. It does not sound that bad. Does it? In fact, it sounds more efficient, urban, and modern way of farming, in which demands are easily met. But do you know where your food comes from, how it’s made, how do they deliver it to us? Did you ever think, for once, about the process of bringing food to your table? We need to be concerned about our food. Styles of farming are changing decade by decade. Unfortunately, it is not changing for the good, but changing for the worse. Factory farming has been affecting the living standards of animals, economy of the country and taking over the world, style of agriculture, the environment, human resource, and human’s health and diet.
Now the question comes, what really is factory farming? Factory farming is where animals, such as cows, chickens, pigs, are raised and fattened using technologies in our modern society, and then slaughtered for out meat, in a faster, inhumane way. This sort of farming is only for short term benefits for general populations, however, the corporations involved in this business are profiting day by day. In addition to animals, even vegetables are produced using chemicals, to grow more vegetables in smaller areas, and shorter time. For example, cattle are supposed to be kept in a moderately clean, open area for them to move around. They are biologically supposed to be feeding on green plants such as hays, grasses, high fibre diets.
However, it is not like that in the world of factory farming. They changed their way for how calves are raised, and how cows are treated. The cows are not protected and looked after their health. They would not care if the cows died from dehydrations or froze to death. Cows with injuries or any kind of illness do not receive necessary veterinary attention. The cows are not set free; asa result, they are scared and confused. Such terrified animals are weak and often injured are unable to walk due to their sickness. Also, they get no proper care and are often left without food, water, veterinary support, and many lead them towards the slaughter house. With this sort of act towards these animals, their diet is not as natural as it used to be. They are fed corns and other unnatural rich diets that are designed to fatten them.
Similarly, chickens are not treated any different either. They are either kept in a cage that is size of a newspaper or live in a crowded place that looks like a warehouse where you cannot move in. once the chicks are born, the workers sort them out according to their sex. Newborn male chicks are suffocated in trash bags, because they do not lay eggs. Chicks have their beaks cut off without giving them anaesthesia. The reason behind this cutting is to prevent injuries that may result from the bird being aggressively stressed. If you have not noticed, the chickens’ bodies are double their actual size compared to what other local chickens look like. Broiler chickens are highly medicated with growth hormones to produce bigger thighs, and breasts. This results into birds being so heavy for the bones to actually support their weight, making it difficult for them to stand. These chickens grow fully within forty eight days, whereas, other non medicated chickens take over four months to grow fully. Imagine yourself as a chicken, how would you feel being highly medicated, being so heavy that you cannot even stand without a support.
Now, as we take a look at the times when factory farming first started, not everyone knew the inside facts about how exactly it was run and what they use for this kind of farming. Factory farming certainly provides cheap foods. They have cheap foods for the cattle, which is corn and they provide cheaper foods for the general population compared to “organic” foods. However, when we have an inside look on the economic costs it takes billions of dollars to run the farming, but provides food that is cheap but unhealthy. On the other hand, if consumers were to buy local foods that are organic they would be supporting the right cause and actually profiting people rather than the corporations who are only looking for benefits for themselves rather than all the other citizens. Thus, it does fulfil the demand of population it feeds, but cheats on them by providing foods that are not safe and tried to change the way of living for animals as well as humans.
Secondly, in terms of agriculture, factory farmers rely on chemicals and cloning to run the factory. They feed corns to all type of animals they farm. Since, corns are cheaper to grow. They have mass production of corns and also spend lots of money in transporting corns to different locations of these factories. Due to all the chemicals being used to make such production, bacteria like E.coli have been found in foods. However, if their ways of living and not feeding them something they are not supposed to fed, it would bring a safe environment for the animals. There would be no need for mass production of corns, money invested for transportation and not exposing health risks towards the farmers and the animals itself. That is to say, agriculturally, factory farmers use chemicals and cloning system to feed animals for their cheap investments.
Moving on to the environment, factory farming does not benefit our natural surroundings at all. Firstly, it uses huge amounts of water, energy, and chemicals to run the factory. Herbicides and insecticides accumulate into the ground and surface waters which is harmful for the humans and other living beings. Chemical fertilizer run off the fields and get into water systems. Excess amount of wastes and noxious odour are created from the meat factory. These all causes land and air population. Also, the means of transportation used for delivering goods and causes pollution and uses huge amount of fuel. All these harmful chemicals and toxic odours are addition to global warming. Hence, it pollutes our environment, endangering human and other living organisms, and their habitat.
Next, factory farming provides lots of job opportunities. Some of the workers are usually illegal immigrants who get paid under the table, have no health benefits and also they are paid lower than their minimum wage. Working factories is a very risky job. There are high chances of disesase being transferred in rapid pace. How? Since, all animals live in a bad environment they are either highly medicated or diseased but not cured. So when they get into slaughter houses, workers handling the meat have chances of bacteria being transferred on to them. Next, accidental injuries they may occur among the workers are not seriously take care of. Owners of the factories do not actually take responsibilities of the accident as seriously as they say they do. Also, fast food restaurants linked with these corporations hire teenagers since they are easily replaced. As a result, working in such factories is considered risky with no proper benefits.
Similarly, food that are handled in such factories are not considered 100% healthy, as it contains several kinds of chemicals being used during the process of production. Since diseased animals are used in the factory for meat production, there is high risk of food being contaminated. That is why from time to time, we hear news about food poisoning or maybe child being sick from eating burgers. Most of the meats produced in factory farms are sent to fast food restaurants. Foods from fast food restaurants are high of calories with high amounts of salt added into the food. As we know, after eating more amount of salty food, humans naturally seek for drink. Drinks that are provided in these restaurants are highly sugared which is also not good for health. These sorts of daily eating habits causes more problems towards human health by creating diseases, such as, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and clogged arteries. On the whole, these foods are one of the leading causes of unhealthy lifestyle.
After reading this, do you consider your way of living and the food you eat? Now how can we as consumers change this? There are several methods such as, follow sustainable farming, buy locals foods that are grown within 100 miles from where you live, maybe plant a small garden and maybe that way you do not have to spend money on that product weekly, try to shop at farmers market, because they are grown through natural process with no chemicals added. Support farmers market by consuming items that are linked to the corporations, consume only organic foods. Yes, organic foods are quite expensive to spend on, but think about it do we not spend money on all the brand name clothing that are highly expensive as well? If we have money for our outer appearance, then why can we not spend the same amount for our inner appearance? Avoid going to fast food restaurants for easy escape, and actually buy healthy goods and cook at home by your clean self and enjoy the meal with your family. If we use these kinds of ways we could possibly bring change for the better.
Lastly, we need to be more careful and be concerned about what is in our plate. We always need to be informed about how our foods are being handled and choose the goods that are produced from sustainable farms. Factory farmers are only here for business, they only look for their benefits and its only up to the general population to change their way of living, choose items that are beneficial for their health. Slowly but steadily, together we will be able to bring changes for the good, changes that will provide long term benefits, keep and treat all the animals respectfully. As a result, our economy, agriculture, human resources, environment as well as our health will be protected.
