Ethical Factory Farming

There are two sides to every story, alluding to the question is factory farming a defensible practice? Ethically factory farming is immoral, wrong, and has many negative externalities. However, there is the fact that factory farming provides an economic benefit, that makes meat affordable to the average American in our society today. The position I take on this matter is the benefits of factory farming economically do not out way the animal cruelty and negative externalities that factory farming creates for the communities around these large conglomerates. Organizations such as Greenpeace have taken a stand to not only seek justice for these unethical practices, but to change the way society views them. After researching the lies that big

factory farms tell consumers, I am supporting the movement to minimalize factory farming, and bring back small farms that are sustainable and support the environment and biodiversity.

According to (PETA) “Animals are often given so little space that they can’t even turn around or lie down comfortably.

Egg-laying hens are kept in small cages, chickens and pigs are kept in jam-packed sheds, and cows are kept in crowded, filthy feedlots.” The practices that factory farms use to raise their livestock is extremely unethical and have no remorse for the animal. “Animals on these factory farms are only seen as a number or an asset, they are seen for what they can produce and not for what they truly are (Robbins, P., Hintz, J., & Moore, S. A. 2010). However, factory farming is prevailing as a rising industry in America today, the consumption of meat, fish and poultry has risen by 50 pounds per capita in the past 50 years (Bittman, M. 2008). Would everyday Americans still be buying the products produced by these unethical organizations if they knew what was really going on. Recent images and horrific videos have been brought to the public eye by many Animal rights organizations on the issue of what really goes on inside a factory farm. The large Agricultural lobbyist have tried their best to hide their unethical practices and recently proposed a law that makes it illegal, to secretly videotape large factory farms. (Editorial Board,

2015).

Factory Farming is a money making machine, a business built on efficiency and profits with little to no care about its’ negative externalities. Yes, it is true that industrial agriculture has brought down the cost of everyday food items; such as meats, poultry, fish, and crops. However, what is the cost of the price drop to the consumer, taxpayer subsidies provided to industrial farms from the government have exceeded 290 billion dollars from 1995-2012 (Organic Consumer Association 2013). Taxpayers are subsidizing industrial farms, which create mass pollution, unsustainable rates of consumption, unethical farming practices, the destruction of biodiversity through mono-cropping, and finally putting the consumers at risk from various health risks caused by pesticides and overuse of antibiotics (Horrigan, L., Lawrence, R. S., & Walker, P. 2002). As a Finance major at the University of Colorado, Boulder I understand that these practices are creating many market inefficiencies and hurting the economy of small business, such as small sustainable farms. From a market perspective while industrial farming has made expensive items such as meat affordable, what is the cost in the long run.

John Locke says “an individual should not take more than it can consume or before it can spoil or go to waste, further no human should appropriate more land than he can work.” I understand this theory was created in a time before our modern era and technology, however I believe this theory holds true today. Many people say that industrial farming is the only way to feed our rising population and that organic, sustainable small farms would not be able to keep up with today’s demand of food. But, realistically that is not true the amount of resources that factory farming uses, we would need 1.5 planets to sustain at our current rate of consumption, further industrial agriculture does not use its resources efficiently and in a recent statistic approximately 50 percent of our food is going to waste (Mark Bitman, 2011). We produce so much unnecessary food when in reality the crops we are using to produce and raise livestock such as cattle could be consumed by people more efficiently. Two hundred studies done in North America and Europe have shown that organic farming yields were about 80% to conventional yields (n.d. 2016). The only argument left to make is that Industrial farming is more profitable, and yes, that is true lower costs to produce, less overhead from labor, and a more efficient process. I truly believe that the environmental benefits and health benefits of organic farming outweigh the profit margins of big corporations.

In conclusion, my position still stands that factory farming is not a defensible practice, and Is bringing more harm to the planet than benefit to the economy and the consumer. I believe as a society we have to take ethical responsibility for our planet and everything surrounding it. Factory farming is a complete disregard of the planet, enduring the miss treatment of animals, polluting the air and water, and killing small communities and biodiversity surrounding it. The one benefit of factory farming is an economic one, but the small economic gain right now I not worth the devastating effects it has on our planet.