Factory Farms: Are They Necessary to Feed America?

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Factory Farms: Are they necessary to Feed America? The majority of animal products found in supermarkets all around the United States are produced using a form of industrial agriculture known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO’s). The animals in these factory farms are kept indoors with thousands of animals in confined spaces. The CAFO’s are very efficient and create an abundance of animal products like meat, eggs, poultry, and milk, at an affordable price for the public. However, there have been many concerns about animal treatment, public health, and environmental harm. Because these factory farms are so large, they produce enormous amounts of waste, which contributes to pollution in the water and air.1 Antibiotics used for animal disease prevention can also aid the creation of bacteria resistant to antibiotics, making it easier for humans to get new forms of infections.1 This is a very recent method of mass-producing food, and though it has benefits, many small farm owners, environmentalists, public health advocates, and neighbors of these CAFO’s question if the benefits outweigh the costs. Smaller, organic farms often practice agricultural methods that are thought to be safer and less harmful to the animals and to the surrounding environment. To account for these improved conditions, the cost of their food products increase, and the production rate is typically much lower than factory farms. Many of these organic farms are forced to use industrial agriculture techniques to keep up with the high demand for their products. Smaller, organic farms may have fewer environmental costs, yet the great need for animal products in the U.S. suggests factory farming may be the only viable option to meet these high production rates. Though small farms may be less harmful to the environment, CAFO’s are necessary to satisfy the high demand for animal

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