Pro Position à
Industrial farming has proven to be one of the United States’ greatest successes. Among the benefits of industrial agriculture have been greater sums of food at cheap prices. If our nation did not rely on large-scale industrial farming there would not be enough food produced to feed the growing population. Because the population is steadily increasing, it is no longer possible to fulfill the huge demand for livestock by personal and small-scale cultivation. The livestock produced by factory farming have increased in terms of quantity and quality due to advancements made and implemented in technology. Modern farming techniques are efficient, highly productive and sustainable.
Today’s food animal production systems are much more sophisticated and produce a much higher quality food product than older systems that exposed livestock to foul conditions, tumultuous weather, predators, and diseases. To shift away from industrial farming would result in lower production, lower quality food products, exposure to diseases, and higher food costs for consumers. To ensure that the welfare of the nation’s economy, food productivity, farmers, and consumers are secure, it is in our best interest to continue on with industrial farming as it is the most reliable option. Without industrial farming the very nature of our food industries would change, and not necessarily for the better. (This position is taken from an essay I wrote for my English action essay in the spring semester of 2011 at the University of North Texas. The title of my action essay is “Livestock Production: A Matter of Animal Welfare.”)
Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yvEgF69Vv5Q/TJwBhsM3dfI/AAAAAAAAD5k/uFYWuVdUNro/s1600/Cows-at-diary-farm-006.jpg
Con Position à
From the research I have done so far, the cons of industrial farming are centered on the mistreatment of the livestock involved and the harm done to the environment. One of the leading problems with factory farming is the impact it has on the environment. These businesses, commonly referred to as agribusinesses, produce a great deal of water, air, and soil pollution. This pollution not only places the animals and workers on site in the line of danger, but nearby communities can be and are polluted as well.
The animal waste, cleared out from the pens, goes into large ponds. These ponds can seep into streams, rivers, and lakes. The ponds can also seep down into the groundwater where many people get their drinking and bathing water. There are large amounts of bacteria poured into and festering inside the ponds and the runoff water of the factory farms. The air pollution stems from numerous sources such as the animal waste and the vast amounts of machinery, trucks, and equipment employed on factory farms. Chemicals used on the soil can become airborne and inhaled which can result in illness. Deforestation also occurs to provide the vast amounts of land needed to run a functional factory farm. Deforestation destroys nutrient rich soil.
While pigs and cows are fattened up with corn and pumped full of hormones and antibiotics as they await their demise, they are subjected to disgusting living conditions. Before they are slaughtered, factory-farmed animals are forced to live in uncomfortably close living quarters with one another.
A Factory Farm Taxing the Environment / http://localhealthymeats.com/?page_id=295
My Position
I can appreciate that industrial farming produces larger sums of food at cheaper prices. I understand that factory farms are necessary to keep up with growing populations. I do feel that industrial farming needs to undergo serious changes in how livestock is treated and foods produced. I would really like to see the livestock treated with more care and respect because all life has value. Many of us eat livestock based foods, and we should therefore have greater concern for where our food comes from, how it is produced, and at what cost is placed on the environment.
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