Entry #9: Factory Farming Article

       https://thehumaneleague.org/article/what-is-factory-farming

 

        This article starts by detailing what factory farming is and the different inhumane practices they use. It goes over practices like chickens being debeaked and how cows and pigs are tail docked. Debeaking is the practice of using a hot blade to remove parts of the chickens’ beaks, while tail docking is the practice of removing the animals’ tails. In the article they say that this is because the animals will bite and tear off bits of each other however if the animals weren’t confined in small spaces this wouldn’t be an issue. Cutting off parts of the animal cause lifelong pain for them and can even lead to infections. The article continues to pile more and more facts about how cruel and un healthy the living conditions are for factory farmed animals, mentioning confined spaces and even genetic manipulation which cause many medical conditions for the animals.

The reason that this still happens is because of financial and political benefits for the people that run them. Some facts that were presented in the article are that as of 2020 there are 1.6 Billion animals confined within only 25,000 farms across America, Roughly 99% of animals in the US are raised on factory farms, and the total number of farms in the US decreased by 50% between 1960 and 2002. These facts stuck out to me and painted a picture of how many animals are packed into these farms in order to meet the demand that the population requires however with the closure of farms that says to me we are not farming responsibly, and this is not a viable long-term solution to the demand of food.

The article then details the risks associated with factory farming that come in all forms from the health of the animals themselves to even the health and safety of the workers. People who work at factory farms are at risk from all kinds of diseases that the animals carry as well as physical harm from all the heavy equipment and tools that they must use. Factory farms are riddled with dangerous hazards that sound like actual hell to work at. This article is directed at everyday people to educate them and give them an option to help out by providing links to join the “Fast Action Network”, just volunteer, or just sign the pledge to help fight against factory farms. I think we need to start phasing out the practices of factory farming and work to open more humane farms which will in turn provide more jobs and healthier food.