The term "
factory farming" refers to a method of intensive agriculture in which large numbers of animals are crammed into severely inadequate living conditions so that corporations can maximize profits by selling the animals' bodies or milk to consumers. Pigs, cows, sheep, turkeys, chickens, and ducks are just some of the many animals raised in large numbers on factory farms. One thing that makes factory farms stand out is that they routinely hurt animals, like cutting off parts of birds' beaks or cutting off the tails of cows and baby sheep, and give them antibiotics all the time.
In what ways does factory farming harm the environment?
While mass animal production may seem like a good way to cut costs, the environmental disasters that have resulted from
factory farming have been some of the worst in recent history.
Contamination of the Air
High levels of air pollution can be traced back to the housing of large numbers of animals in confined spaces. The majority of the public is likely unaware that poultry farms—where chickens, turkeys, and ducks spend their entire lives in small, confined buildings—are major contributors to air pollution. The animals in an area, as well as the workers and residents, could be negatively impacted by air pollution.
Deforestation
Large-scale cattle ranching is a leading cause of deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest. Deforestation causes greenhouse gas levels to rise, destroys important places for plants and animals to live, and forces indigenous people to move.
Global Warming and Greenhouse Gases
The release of greenhouse gases during the industrial production of meat is a major contributor to global warming. Droughts, hailstorms, floods, and hurricanes are just some of the extreme weather events we've seen as a result of global warming. Whether it's through a rise in sea levels, acidification of the ocean, an increase in the prevalence of diseases, or the extinction of entire species, climate change is bad for ecosystems.
Land Usage
It's no secret that the production of meat has a significant impact on how land is used. Most of the world's farmland goes toward raising livestock, but this only generates "18 percent of the world's calories and 37 percent of total protein," as reported by Our World in Data. Large decreases in water supply, biodiversity, habitats, and soil health accompany this land use.
Wildlife and Biodiversity
The massive amounts of land needed for meat production, along with the flood of pollution and other impacts that are degrading ecosystems, pose a threat to the survival of wildlife and a biologically diverse planet. Demand for meat is on the rise around the world, and as a result, natural habitats are being encroached upon at unprecedented rates. The production of lamb and cattle for beef requires the most land of any proteins consumed by humans. Animals are doomed if their habitats are destroyed, especially those that are already on the verge of extinction.
Both the runoff from crops grown to feed factory-farmed animals, which often contain high levels of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers and the animal excrement from factory farms themselves contribute to the pollution of oceanic habitats by agricultural runoff.
The water is poured directly onto factory farms. Fish factory farms are large-scale animal-feeding operations that raise fish like salmon commercially. Open-water cages pollute the ocean because fish waste and a lot of antibiotics are used to keep fish alive in very unnatural conditions. These cages are often set up in areas of the ocean that are clean and have a lot of different kinds of life.
Water Pollution
Raw sewage is dumped directly into waterways and groundwater by runoff from large-scale animal farms when it rains too hard or when cracks appear in overloaded manure lagoons.
Use of Water
The majority of the world's freshwater is consumed by the agricultural sector, the majority of which is used for livestock production. However, the water footprints of animal products are two to six times larger than those of pulses.
Policies Governing Factory Farming
Regarding factory farming, only during transport and slaughter are farm animals in the United States protected by law but remember these laws aren’t enough to
save the earth.
Animals shipped live to farms or slaughterhouses must be kept in compliance with the Twenty-Eight Hour Law or face penalties. The document simply stipulates that animals must be unloaded for at least five hours if they have been in transit for more than 28 straight hours.
Some animals must be stunned before slaughter under the Humane Slaughter Act.
