Why is factory farming bad

On a lesser note, factory farming also releases harmful compounds like hydrogen sulfide and ammonia that can cause immediate negative health effects in humans. In the United States alone, over million acres of forest have been cleared to make room for crop fields, most of which are used to exclusively grow livestock feed. This is not a practice that only occurs in the U. And these numbers only account for land cleared to feed animals. Clearing land to grow soybeans in the Amazon rainforest is responsible for clearing over million hectares of forest, releasing enough carbon into the atmosphere to increase the rate of global warming by 50 percent.

Water polluted with agricultural run-off can destroy whole ecosystems and be toxic, if not lethal to humans and animals alike. Industrial livestock farms, known as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations sounds warm and fuzzy, right? Nitrates, dangerous microbes, and drug-resistant bacteria run rampant in these lagoons.

High levels of nitrates in drinking water can cause spontaneous abortions and blue baby syndrome and bacteria outbreaks from agricultural water pollution is responsible for several disease outbreaks across the United States. Monocultures in industrial farming pose an incredible threat to future food security across the globe.

In the United States, corn, wheat, rice, and soybeans are planted at an unprecedented rate, yet only a small percentage of these crops feed people. Planting millions of acres of genetically similar plants has become a global phenomenon due to the high-yields that these plants can produce under certain conditions. The problem with this, however, comes when environmental conditions change good thing our climate is so stable… or in the form of a crop epidemic the potato famine sound familiar?

Large-scale farming of monocultures depends on massive amounts of synthetic fertilizers to replace nutrients that are continually drained from soil. This practice also requires high levels of synthetic pesticides to stave off insects that are attracted to certain crops. If farmers did not receive subsidies for growing commodity crops, then crop fields could be populated with a diverse mixture of plant species that can naturally fix nitrogen into soil and control insects.

While this outrageous practice does not happen in real life …yet , it does highlight how heavily factory farms rely on fossil fuels to raise animals and grow crops. The federal Humane Slaughter Act is supposed to ensure that animals are rendered unconscious before they are bled out or dismembered.

However, these regulations are not readily enforced by USDA. The agency often defers to the factory farming industry to regulate itself. Even at the best of times, a trip to the slaughterhouse can mean more than a quick and painless death.

Some chickens are forced to endure live-shackle slaughter , where their legs are jammed into metal clamps and hung upside down, often resulting in broken bones. A conveyor belt carries them toward an electrified bath of water, where their heads are dunked.

The bath is supposed to stun them; however, many birds avoid this bath or are not properly stunned and remain conscious for the slaughter, when their throats are slit and their abused bodies thrown into scalding hot water meant to de-feather them. This is perhaps the single greatest cause of animal suffering in slaughterhouses.

Cattle are commonly killed using a stun-gun or stunner , which is essentially a gun with a retractable bolt instead of a bullet. This bolt is fired into the brain between the eyes of a cow, rendering them braindead. There is a lot to learn about factory farming, and given the sheer size of this growing industry, the numbers are often difficult to fathom.

Below are a few facts and statistics that form a brief snapshot of intensive animal agriculture. There are many actions you can take to help put a stop to factory farming. Here are a few ways you can connect with The Humane League to end the abuse of animals raised for food:.

No matter where you live or what skills you bring to the table, everyone is welcome to join the fight for a more just food system. Factory farming has many downsides for humans, animals, and the environment.

The practice is perpetuated by multinational corporations and backed in large part by world governments and the political establishment. A food system without factory farms—which would be far more equitable and just, and far less damaging to people, animals, and the environment—is long overdue. Pigs are subjected to horrific conditions on factory farms, but their suffering is unseen.

Learn the truth about what happens behind closed doors. What is factory farming? What happens on factory farms? Inhumane treatment Inhumane treatment occurs on factory farms wherever animal cruelty is ignored, though definitions of cruelty vary widely between stakeholders.

Cows and pigs are tail-docked Animals on factory farms, such as cows, pigs, and sheep, routinely have their tails removed—a process known as tail-docking. Photo: Andrew Skowron Tail-docking is done for a number of reasons. Animals are confined Extreme confinement is the defining feature of factory farms.

Genetic manipulation Genetic manipulation in factory farms can take many forms. Photo: Connor Jackson Genetic manipulation can also lead to worsening conditions for animals.

Why does this still happen? Why is factory farming bad? Animal welfare Animal welfare philosophy and legislation are grounded by the Five Freedoms, a framework denoting the kind of living conditions animals should not be subjected to. The Five Freedoms are: Freedom from thirst, hunger, and malnutrition Freedom from discomfort and exposure Freedom from pain, injury, and disease Freedom from fear and distress Freedom to express normal behavior The conditions on a typical factory farm make it impossible for animals to fully achieve even one of these freedoms.

Environmental impact Raising animals for food is a resource-intensive activity. Human health issues Human health can be negatively affected by factory farms. Rural communities Many rural communities in the United States trace their origins to small farms, composed of an interdependent economic ecosystem of small farms and businesses that support them.

How are animals killed on factory farms? Pigs can be electrocuted with an apparatus applied to their temples. Where is factory farming most common? Factory farming is driving the consolidation of farms in the United States.

The total number of farms in the US decreased by 50 percent between and , while the total number of farmed animals skyrocketed. As of , there are roughly 1. Roughly 99 percent of animals in the US are raised on factory farms. A single broiler chicken factory farm can produce about , birds every year. How can we stop factory farming? Here are a few ways you can connect with The Humane League to end the abuse of animals raised for food: Join the Fast Action Network FAN Volunteer with us Learn more about our campaigns No matter where you live or what skills you bring to the table, everyone is welcome to join the fight for a more just food system.

Conclusion Factory farming has many downsides for humans, animals, and the environment. Explore the cruelty that exists behind closed doors and impacts us all. In order to facilitate confinement of these animals in such stressful, crowded, unsanitary conditions, painful mutilations like cutting off the horns of cattle, cutting off the beaks of chickens, and docking the tails of sheep, pigs, and dairy cattle are routinely performed. Alternative, high-welfare farming allows animals raised for food to have a life free of unnecessary pain and suffering, and the opportunity to exhibit normal behaviors.

The management and welfare of animals raised for food directly impacts human health. Intensive farming operations housing tens of thousands of animals in close quarters serve as ideal incubators for disease. Several major human health concerns are associated with intensive farming, including increased transfer of infectious agents from animals to humans, antibiotic resistance, food-borne illness, and the generation of novel viruses like H1N1 swine flu in pigs. Antibiotic resistance, stemming from the use of antibiotics to promote growth and suppress disease within confinement operations, presents a serious health concern.