Factory Farming Pros And Cons Essay

What comes to mind when I say factory farming? Surprisingly, factory farming has been in existence since the early 1900’s. (Evolution of Factory Farming) Farming has been going on for a very long time, farming has been a very important part of our country's history. Most people have a strong opinion about factory farming. Farming is how we sustain the population. From lettuce to steak, it comes from a farm. There are pros and cons to factory farming. I think there are both pros and cons to factory farming but the cons outweigh the pros. Since the early 1900’s factory farming has been a part of the booming agricultural industry. A CAFO is another EPA term. A CAFO is an AFO with more than 1000 animal units. A unit is defined as an animal equivalent of 1000 lbs. live weight and equates to 1000 head of beef cattle, 700 dairy cows, 2500 swine weighing more than 55 lbs., 125 thousand broiler chickens, or 82 thousand laying hens or pullets) confined on site for more than 45 days during the year. Factory farming

(Murphy) The alternatives to factory farming require community support in order thrive and last. Often the alternatives are set up formally as co-operatives, but others are consciously interdependent, recognizing that producers and consumers need each other. The large food system considers things about value chains and vertical integration, responsible food production, processing, and distribution are circles of farmers that nourish the community. Communities that recognize the connections between good food, local farms, health, and local economics have created the guide for food production. These communities build broad social support by educating public officials and encouraging them to become actively involved in creating local food systems.