Sample Term Paper on Factory Farming

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Factory farming is an intensive animal husbandry where livestock are kept in a small space under firm control
mainly for commercial purposes. Factory farming is one of the most practiced methods of producing food around
the world, thus, it has attracted both approvals and criticisms from different groups. In particular, the animal
welfare groups believe that such practice exposes animals to cruelty. Economists have lauded the practice
because it has helped in maximizing output, promoting local economy, and encouraging technology. Most
philosophers oppose factory farming for human consumption due to the breach of animal rights. Although factory
farming has contributed effectively in the production of and supply of cheap animal products, the model has
equally interfered with animal welfare regulations, environment, social health, and overall food abundance.

Should Animals Be Kept In Factory Farms For Human Consumption?

It seems rational to keep a large number of animals in a small space purposely for human consumption. This
practice enhances food security, considering that the demand for food is rising globally due to steady rise in
population. Since animals are usually kept indoors, production of meat and other products are kept constant
throughout the year, regardless of weather conditions (Lee, McAlexander and Banda 116). Peoples appetite for
meat has been rising at a high rate; hence, improving on the productivity of livestock through factory farming will
help in meeting the high demand. According to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 10
billion of land animals were butchered in the US in 2007 for human consumption (Pluhar 456). The Department
of Agriculture s expecting this number to rise, as the American craving for flesh continue to grow. Therefore, the
only way that the country can sustain meat consumption is through encouraging factory farming.

When animals are reared in a small space, it becomes easier to administer antibiotics and other disease-control
medications. People can no longer rely on the traditional methods of farming, where animals are allowed to roam
around with no protection. Allowing animals to roam freely makes it hard to monitor them; hence, increasing the
chances of consuming unhealthy meat, especially when there is an outbreak of a certain disease. Factory
farming has the capacity to supplement proteins at an affordable cost (Lee, McAlexander and Banda 117).
Factory farming has contributed in the reduction of food prices, since animal products are readily available in the
supermarkets and local butcheries. Factory farming has become a big business where farmers can practice
economy of scale: the more animals they keep, the lower the cost of production.

Factory farms have contributed in the growth of most countries economies by creating jobs for the locals. Such
farms attract both skilled and non-skilled workers from cities and local town, triggering the establishment of
houses to host farm workers. When local governments realize that people are flocking particular areas for work,
they offer to construct roads, hospitals, schools, and other social structures to improve the lives of workers. Well-
managed factory farms also attract farmers, who visit such establishment to learn how they can replicate the
practice in their regions. Small farmers usually buy animals from factory farms, which they rear to meet their
subsistence needs.

Factory farms have encouraged technological development in terms of tools and equipment that farmers utilize
to make production faster and efficient. The U.S. has moved from small farm system to intensive and
industrialized system due to the expansion of technology. Connection to sensors, actuators, and other innovative
gadgets to monitor the conditions of animals within their sheds has helped farmers to enhance their productivity.
Improvement in technology has contributed in enhancing food security, as well as minimizing costs of production
(Lee, McAlexander and Banda 117). Sometimes it may become hard to monitor thousands of animals within their
confinements, thus, use of Internet has assisted in making faster response when animals are sick. Good
breeding is vital for factory animals to enhance productivity even for the next generation of animals, thus, semen
is collected from animals that have a tendency to produce high yields. Movement detectors are capable of
showing whether an animal is ready for insemination.

Opponents of factory farming may argue that this technique restricts animals from enjoying fresh air and sunlight

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while in open space. However, animals raised in stress-free environment also encounter problems of diseases,
predators, and harsh weather conditions (Pluhar 461). There is no assurance that a stress-free environment
does not contribute to the spread of animal diseases. Confined animals also get essential nutrients from the type
of food that they take, rather than getting them directly from the sunlight.

Conversely, factory farming should be banned because it exists purposely for commercial interests rather than
taking care of animals. Factory farmers do not mind exposing animals to cruelty as they struggle for space. This
practice treats animals as machines that are meant to produce, enhance production, and earn profit for the
owner. The life of such animals is considered inconsequential, as they would eventually be sold or butchered for
human consumption. Some farms create only small spaces where animals can turn, thus, restricting animals
from exhibiting their natural behavior. For instance, most egg-laying hens are forced to stay in a small cage to
avoid cannibalism while pigs are kept in a compressed sheds, which are usually filthy and dilapidated. Cows are
compelled to sleep on their dung to save on space.

Providing factory animals with food and water is not enough, as animals need more space to sleep, to roam
around and to breathe fresh air. No human being can imagine him/herself locked up in a lift the whole day,
despite having food and water. Such confinement can only be compared to a death sentence. Just like human
beings, animals are mindful feeling beings and what affect humans affect them too. Confining animals in an
artificial environment restrict them from exhibiting their natural behaviors. They are compelled to tolerate painful
procedures that are meant to curb their natural behaviors, such as castration and dehorning, as well as to
identify them. Even though the products from factory animals may appear healthy for consumption, animals
should not be exposed to harsh conditions.

Meatpacking industry has proliferated due to expansion of factory farms, which offer a constant supply of
animals for processing and packaging. However, the benefits of factory farming do not trickle down to the
communities who live near the factory farms, as people are complaining of the spread of chronic diseases due to
poor hygiene. A massive hog operation has propagated in the rural Carolina, where hogs are confined in metal
barns, similar to prison cells (Kemmerer 241). The hogs produce millions of liters of waste each day, which is
stored in pits to be used as a raw material in fertilizer factories. According to Kemmerer, such pits have become
a health hazard to the people living near hog farms. Due to the stench that comes from the pits, residents are
complaining of rising cases of asthma and other respiratory ailments. Besides, cases of psychological stress,
depression, fatigue, and anger, have gone up among people living near hog factories. It is not surprising that hog
factories are expanding in areas where people lack political power due to poverty and racism.

Meat production through factory farming has affected people who work in such farms and industries through
emotional effects. Employees have been brutalized and harassed in order to meet their daily targets, yet they are
not paid handsomely. Their physical health has continued to deteriorate due to poor working conditions and
increased pollution. Everyone in the community, including the vegetarians, is at risk of contracting pathogens
released by immune-compromised non-human food animals (Pluhar 456). Animal feeds are filled with
nontherapeutic doses of antibiotics, which have become harmful to humans through the development of
antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which stagnates recovery from ailments.

Keeping animals in cages and sheds for the purpose of consumption is not only risky for the animals, but also for
human beings. Consuming too much of animal products contributes significantly in the spread of chronic
diseases that include cancer, obesity, heart disease, and diabetes (Rossi and Garner 485). The affordability of
factory farm animal products comes with a high cost; as animal products contribute to the obesogenic
environment (Lee, McAlexander and Banda 117). The residual chemicals that remain in the animal body may
influence faster growth and weight gain among humans.

Factory farming should be discouraged because it exposes animals into hazardous living conditions. Majority of
factory farm animals have spent their whole life in cages and shed, with no space to turn around. Egg-laying
hens cannot draw out their wings, as their cages are too tiny and too packed in a limited space. In addition,
animals are administered with antibiotics and hormones to encourage faster growth and productivity. For
instance, broiler chickens are purposely altered with genetics to increase weight, and to avoid infection, such
chickens are offered growth hormones that create food product that is unhealthy for human consumption (Lee,
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McAlexander and Banda 116). Some of the genetically bred chickens become extraordinarily large that they
cannot move, hence, they may end up dying due to dehydration and starvation, since they cannot reach their
food troughs. Factory farming has become a large contributor of human infectious diseases. The residual
chemicals in animal products are likely to expose humans to faster growth, just like animals. The extensive use
of antibiotics in factory animal industry has led to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which is a threat
to human health.

Factory farming has contributed in wasting precious resources. While the Earth does not have adequate
resources, factory farming has continued to squander the available resources to feed the animals. Owners of
factory farming have encroached into forests and water resources as they endeavor to produce enough food to
feed their animas. More land is required to produce dairy products that it would be required to cultivate cereals,
vegetables, and fruits while much of the water used in agriculture is directed to animal production. The system
has exerted force on the environment through extension of land and provision of other animal needs, such as
water, electricity, and labor force. A lot of money has been invested in the manufacturing of synthetic fertilizers
and pesticides, which are critical for the production of livestock feed. Such investments could be directed
towards the production of plant-based food, which could feed more people than they could in farm animals.
Animal products are not the only source of protein, as plants are also vital source of protein.

Factory farming has destroyed some peoples culture, as well as the quality of meat. A family farm had been an
American icon for a long time, but the emergence of factory farms has led to the destruction of family farm, as
factory farm owners have managed to reap huge benefits from a small space. They have kept the production
costs relatively low, thus, keeping out small farmers who were their competitors. Small-scale farmers who rely on
animals are forced to look for other alternatives of earning a living, as their expenditures continue to rise through
the maintenance of infrastructure that is destroyed by activities in factory farms. Large factory farms seldom care
about space or comfort for the livestock, as long as they are getting the benefits with minimum costs.

Researchers have indicated that the current practice of factory farming for human consumption is unacceptable
because of its effects on humans, animals, as well as the environment. A study carried out by the Pew
Commission in 2008 concerning Industrial Farm Animal Production recommended for a termination of some
intensive production methods that included battery cages, gestation crates, as well as force-feeding birds to
yield fatty livers, which were harmful to the animals (Pluhar 455). Factory farming consumes a lot of fresh water,
which could be directed for other uses. Disposal of animal waste entails pumping of water into the pits that store
such waste. Some water that is contaminated with chemicals may leak from the pits and join the local
waterways, leading to the spread of toxic chemicals that destroy aquatic animals and other organisms. The
support for factory farming has also encouraged monocultures, which are a threat to food security. Single-crops
farms have taken much of the agricultural land, yet much of the crops are fed to livestock.

Animal rights activists consider factory farming as morally wrong, as it exposes animals into abuse. Animal
welfare advocates do not restrain people from rearing animals for human purposes, but rather prevent people
from mistreating animals by confining them in small cages and pens that resemble prisons. According to Warren,
modern farming that involves confining animals in pens is inhumane, and that eating animal products is
unhealthy (69). Humans are supposed to offer appropriate care to animals by allowing them to roam around
freely, protect them from harsh weather, and treat them when they fall sick.

Some proponents of factory farming may argue that keeping animals in a small space help in production of
healthier animals than practicing intensive farming. Most farm animals are confined in barns, or roofed houses to
protect them from harsh weather and to enhance their health (Warren 69). Most farmers assert that they cannot
benefit from this practice unless they maintain the health of their animals. However, factory farming has
contributed to rigorous physiological and behavioral problems, in addition to the spread of various animal
diseases. The purpose of enhancing food security could be surpassed by millions of people using much of their
earnings to seek treatment of preventable diseases.

No moral theory can authorize the extension of factory farming for the sake of enhancing food security. For

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instance, feminist theory, which emphasizes on the relationships among beings, as well as the emotional
significance of relationships, does not approve for industrialized meat production for the sake of consumption.
When there are choices to make concerning what to eat, women take the responsibility because they are quite
sensitive in terms of food value. By focusing on morality, eating meat entails knowing how the animal was being
treated before it was turned into meat. This implies that people should only eat meat that comes from animals
that are raised in a sustainable environment.

Moral vegetarians are individuals who oppose eating of meat not because of its health implications, but rather on
ethical grounds. Vegetarians argued that raising animals in factory farms for meat and other products is to
sacrifice the most essential and basic interests of animals (Shaw 270). They insist that the extra pleasure that
individuals get from meat can hardly meet the price that animals have to pay. The biblical notion of mans
dominion over animals is what many people believe in when it comes to animal care, but the Judeo-Christian
faith is against inhumane treatment of animals, as a righteous man should not be cruel to animals.

Utilitarianism is against factory farming because it holds that the ultimate objective of morality is to capitalize on
happiness. Treating animals meant for human consumption well would generate more pleasure, but treating
such animals badly inflicts pain on them. Some philosophers assert that it is acceptable to raise animals for food,
but such animals should be raised humanely, and not in a confined area (Shaw 270). Utilitarianism usually
focuses on the results, thus, if factory farming is detrimental for both animals and humans, it should be
discouraged.

Stopping Factory Farming

Animal rights activists emphasize that animals have rights, just as humans, and any exploitation of animals by
humans implies that animals are inferior to humans. Although many people would like to take healthy meals in
their homes and in restaurants, they seem to forget that they have the power to do so. Individuals can contribute
in discouraging factory farming by turning to alternatives for animal products, or purchasing animal products from
farmers who practice free-range and traditional intensive animal farming.

People can opt to abandon meat and turn to vegetables and fruits for protein. Becoming a vegetarian will not only
discourage factory farming, but also enhance individuals health by avoiding animal products. There is a hope
that human attitudes concerning animals is changing, as some states, such as Arizona, California, Florida, and
Oregon, have passed laws to prohibit the confinement of pigs that are pregnant, or raising calves for veal in small
pens (Shaw 270). Many laws are only passed when people push for a change, thus, it may take long before
farmers can accept that there is a problem.

Conclusion

The debate on whether factory farming should be encouraged for human consumption purposes has been going
on in most communities, as people strive to understand economical, social and ethical approach of such
practice. While economists and farmers support factory farming for enhancing food security and creation of jobs,
animal welfare activists oppose the practice due to exposure of animals to cruelty and sufferings. Confining
animals for human consumption should be discouraged, as animal products from such farms contribute in the
emergency of chronic illnesses among humans, in addition to the destruction of environment. Most philosophers
believe that inflicting unnecessary pain and distress to animals by confining them in sheds is morally wrong.
Although it is extremely hard to turn all people into vegetarians, people should insist on eating meat that comes
from animals raised in a stress-free environment.

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Works Cited

Kemmerer, Lisa. Animals and the Environment: Advocacy, Activism, and the Quest for Common Ground . , 2015.
Internet resource.

Lee, Rebecca E, Kristen McAlexander, and Jorge Banda. Reversing the Obesogenic Environment. Champaign,
IL: Human Kinetics, 2011. Print.

Pluhar, Evelyn. Meat And Morality: Alternatives To Factory Farming. Journal of Agricultural & Environmental
Ethics 23.5 (2010): 455-468. Business Source Complete. Web. 15 Sept. 2016.

Rossi, John, and Samual Garner. Industrial Farm Animal Production: A Comprehensive Moral Critique. Journal
Of Agricultural & Environmental Ethics 27.3 (2014): 479-522. Business Source Complete. Web. 15 Sept. 2016.

Shaw, William H. Business Ethics. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2015. Print.

Warren, Dean M. Small Animal Care & Management . Albany, NY: Delmar/Thomson Learning, 2016. Print.

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