The rise of factory farming is no accident. It is the result of public policy designed to benefit big meat packers and food processors that dominate the critical steps between farm and consumer.
Intensive livestock production, best referred to as factory farming is an approach towards farm animals ( Cattle, pigs and Chicken), being kept in high stocking densities than is usually the norm with farm animals, in order to maximize production. Products associated with these include milk, meat and eggs.
The practice of factory farming can be associated with the discovery of vaccines and antibiotics, as well the development of shipping networks and technologies, which are used in bringing in the said vaccines and antibiotics.
Despite it having ‘benefited’ farmers in great way they know best, in terms of high productions, animal welfare experts consider raising animals in factory farms inhumane as it has been seen to cause a lot of havoc to the animals. It is affiliated to cons such as:
Animal welfare problems
Factory farms also are detrimental to the animals themselves. They are associated with problems such as Confinement; which limits the animals from expressing their natural behavior of play and exercise. They are not able to see natural light and this leads to the animals getting stressed.
Confinement of pigs for instance leads to stress, and this results to them biting the tails of their fellas, or even the rails of metal they are confined in.
Health hazards
Industrial farms have very limited space. As a result, animals end up being overcrowded, making it easy for diseases to spread. Animals may also develop walking problems, as a result of their muscles getting crumbled in a stacked space.
Abusing of Antibiotics
Animals are routinely given antibiotics even when not sick, creating a breeding ground for antibiotic resistant bacteria, even to the bodies of humans.
Food safety risks
Factory farms are affiliated with high level use of antibiotics, to hinder the animals from falling ill. Animal products infested with excess antibiotics are absolutely unsafe for human consumption. This is where food safety risks come in because once we consume those products, we may end up becoming resistant to the same antibiotics.
All said and done, factory farming carries more cons than pros, as it greatly contributes to high risks of animal cruelty and raises environmental concerns such as emitting noxious air pollutants such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and methane. These emissions negatively impact human health, animal health, and the environment as a whole. ..It also increases the risk of pathogens like E. coli and salmonella that cause food-borne illness in people.
