Disadvantages Of Factory Farming In The United States

As defined by the Oxford Dictionary, “factory farming,” also referred to as “industrial farming,” is “a system of rearing livestock using intensive methods, by which poultry, pigs, or cattle are confined indoors under strictly controlled conditions.” Contrary to what some animal activist groups might argue, there are indeed great benefits of factory farming, including the employment of around 700,000 full- and part-time workers in the US (“Factory Farm Workers”). Other benefits of factory farming that relate to the logos appeal include its cost efficiency (for both producers and consumers) and the innovation it allows for in the food industry. On the other hand, there are many logos-related disadvantages to industrial farming as well, including

However, the majority of people, even meat-eaters, will agree that livestock is generally not treated well. Most people who do consume meat do so either because they believe a meat-inclusive diet has greater health benefits over a plant-based diet, or because they believe that a plant-based diet would be “too hard” and that they would give up anyway. In addition to the moral damage What are you referencing that you just wrote which explains this? meat consumption can cause, the environmental damage caused by factory farming is substantial, especially in the northern midwest region of the United States, where most of the water is sourced from the Great Lakes. Add illustrations to support these examples. Citations

As aforementioned, poultry is often housed in battery cages. These cages are stacked on top of each other in order to maximize space. The automated systems used with this kind of housing is very effective at making sure the hens get the right amount of food and water, depending on the period of the laying cycle (“Housing”). Cattle are also housed in very cost-effective enclosures, especially in the case of calves being raised for veal. Veal calves are the male offspring of dairy cattle, as they were not bred to be very meaty, but cannot produce milk. They are kept in extremely small pens to ensure they do not acquire a large amount of muscle mass, so the meat will be very tender once the calf is slaughtered (“Alarming Facts,” “Cows on Factory Farms). Another common practice in the dairy industry is to keep cows in an almost constant state of pregnancy and lactation, usually with about sixty days to recover between the birth of a calf and the next artificial insemination. (“Waiting Period). This maximizes the amount of milk obtained from each cow, as cows, as is the case with all mammals, only produce milk when they have an infant to feed. A practice that is slowly beginning to appear more in American industrial farms is tail docking, the amputation of about half of the