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Factory farming

Factory farming is a term used to describe a set of often controversial practices in large-scale, intensive agriculture Intensive farming

* Pesticides disturb food chains [i] and reduce many insect, bird and mammal populations. ... 

, usually referring to the industrialized production of livestock Livestock

Livestock [i] is the term used to refer to a domesticated [i] animal [i] intentionally reared in an agricult ... 

, poultry Poultry

Poultry is the class of domesticated [i] fowl [i] used for food [i] or for their eggs. ... 

, and fish Fish

A fish is a water [i]-dwelling vertebrate [i] with gills [i], that remains so throughout its life. ... 

. The methods deployed are geared toward making use of economies of scale to produce the highest output at the lowest cost. The practice is widespread in developed nation Developed country

A developed country is one that has a high income per capita.... 

s, and most of the meat Meat

Meat, in its broadest modern definition, is all animal [i] tissue [i] used as food [i] ... 

, dairy Dairy

A dairy is a facility for the extraction and processing of animal milk [i] and other farm animals, for ... 

, and eggs available in supermarket Supermarket

A supermarket is a departmentalized self-service store [i] offering a wide variety of food [i] and house ... 

s are produced in this manner. Factory farming may also describe farms Farm

A farm is the basic unit in agriculture [i]. ... 

 that grow fruit Fruit

The term fruit has different meanings depending on context.... 

s and vegetable Vegetable

Vegetable is a culinary [i] term. ... 

s as intensive monoculture crops, and applies to bee Bee

Bees are flying insect [i]s, closely related to wasp [i]s and ant [i]s. ... 

s for honey Honey

Honey is a sweet and viscous fluid produced by honeybee [i]s from the nectar [i] of flower [i]s. ... 

 production and fur Fur

The term fur refers to the body hair [i] of non-human mammal [i]s also known as the pelage [i] . ... 

-bearing animal Animal

Animals are a major group of organism [i]s, classified as the kingdom [i] Animalia or ... 

s for the fur trade Fur trade

The fur trade is a worldwide industry involving capturing of animals for their fur.... 

 when they are raised in similar intensive conditions.

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Encyclopedia


Factory farming is a term used to describe a set of often controversial practices in large-scale, intensive agriculture Intensive farming

* Pesticides disturb food chains [i] and reduce many insect, bird and mammal populations.
... 

, usually referring to the industrialized production of livestock Livestock

Livestock [i] is the term used to refer to a domesticated [i] animal [i] intentionally reared in an agricult ... 

, poultry Poultry

Poultry is the class of domesticated [i] fowl [i] used for food [i] or for their eggs.... 

, and fish Fish

A fish is a water [i]-dwelling vertebrate [i] with gills [i], that remains so throughout its life.... 

. The methods deployed are geared toward making use of economies of scale to produce the highest output at the lowest cost. The practice is widespread in developed nation Developed country

A developed country is one that has a high income per capita.... 

s, and most of the meat Meat

Meat, in its broadest modern definition, is all animal [i] tissue [i] used as food [i] ... 

, dairy Dairy

A dairy is a facility for the extraction and processing of animal milk [i] and other farm animals, for ... 

, and eggs available in supermarket Supermarket

A supermarket is a departmentalized self-service store [i] offering a wide variety of food [i] and house ... 

s are produced in this manner.

Factory farming may also describe farms Farm

A farm is the basic unit in agriculture [i]. ... 

 that grow fruit Fruit

The term fruit has different meanings depending on context.... 

s and vegetable Vegetable

Vegetable is a culinary [i] term. ... 

s as intensive monoculture crops, and applies to bee Bee

Bees are flying insect [i]s, closely related to wasp [i]s and ant [i]s. ... 

s for honey Honey

Honey is a sweet and viscous fluid produced by honeybee [i]s from the nectar [i] of flower [i]s. ... 

 production and fur Fur

The term fur refers to the body hair [i] of non-human mammal [i]s also known as the pelage [i] . ... 

-bearing animal Animal

Animals are a major group of organism [i]s, classified as the kingdom [i] Animalia or ... 

s for the fur trade Fur trade

The fur trade is a worldwide industry involving capturing of animals for their fur.... 

 when they are raised in similar intensive conditions.

Origins of factory farming



According to Jennifer Abbott's documentary, A Cow At My Table, the expression factory farming originated within the agricultural Agriculture

Farming redirects here. For Farming in computer games, see Farmer [i].
... 

 industry itself, but it is now primarily used as a pejorative term. In the US, concentrated animal feeding operation Concentrated animal feeding operation

In agriculture [i], a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation is a farm [i] that raises livestock [i] and ... 

, a designation of the Environmental Protection Agency United States Environmental Protection Agency

The Environmental Protection Agency is an agency [i] of the federal government of the United States [i] ... 

, is the term generally used within the industry and various government regulatory agencies for intensive livestock production; elsewhere, factory farming is also known as "industrial agriculture".

The practices of large-scale agriculture that are classified as factory farming are the result of various scientific discoveries and technological advances. Innovations in agriculture beginning in the late 1800s generally parallel developments in mass production in other industries that characterized as the Industrial Revolution Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was the major technological [i], socioeconomic [i] a ... 

. The identification of nitrogen Nitrogen

Nitrogen is a chemical element [i] which has the symbol N and atomic number [i] 7 in the periodic table [i] ... 

 and phosphorus Phosphorus

|-
| Critical temperature [i] || 994 K [i]
... 

 as critical factors in plant growth led to the manufacture of synthetic fertilizer Fertilizer

Fertilizers or fertilisers are compounds given to plant [i]s with the intention of promoting grow ... 

s, making possible more intensive types of agriculture. The discovery of vitamin Vitamin

Vitamins are nutrient [i]s required for essential metabolic reactions in the body . ... 

s and their role in animal nutrition Nutrition

[i] and states of [[health]... 

, in the first two decades of the 20th century 20th century

The 20th century started on 1 January [i] 1901 [i] and ended on 31 December [i] 2000 [i], according to t... 

, led to vitamin supplements, which in the 1920s allowed certain livestock to be raised indoors, without sunlight Sunlight

Sunlight in the broad sense is the total spectrum [i] of electromagnetic radiation [i] give ... 

. The discovery of antibiotics in the 1940s facilitated raising livestock in larger numbers by reducing disease. Chemicals developed for use in World War II World War II

World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide [i] conflict [i] fought betwe ... 

 gave rise to synthetic pesticide Pesticide

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency [i] defines a pesticide as "any substance or mixture of substan ... 

s.

The precise origin of the term, factory farm, is not clear, although the Oxford English Dictionary Oxford English Dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary is a dictionary [i] published by the Oxford University Press [i] , an ... 

 attributes the first recorded use to an American journal of economics in 1890, while it didn't enter pejorative use until the 1960s. A 1998 documentary film, A Cow at My Table, showed the term being used within the agricultural industry as descriptive of "factory-like" farming operations. In recent decades, the term has been widely used by environmental and animal rights movements, and thus has a negative connotation, at least in public forums. However, it has also been included in modern dictionaries as simply referring to "large-scale agriculture".

Relation to E. coli outbreak

In 2006, there was an E. coli outbreak 2006 North American E. coli outbreak

In September 2006, there was an outbreak of food-borne illness [i] caused by Escherichia coli [i] ba... 

 among people living in many different states. The young and old proved to be most vulnerable to the bacteria, with many ending up in the hospital within just a day of eating spinach. Many of these people, who considered themselves health conscious and tried to eat the right things, were very suprised that this E. coli outbreak was traced back to bagged spinach.

Investigations are continuing into how E. coli ended up on spinach. Especially considering the following: E. coli is in the digestive systems some mamals including both humans and healthy cows. Most E. coli can be broken down by stomach acids. However, the strain most deadly to people, , easily survives a human stomach.

The deadly 0157 strain of E. coli is most commonly found in the digestive systems of grain fed cattle. In 2003 an article in the Journal of Dairy Science found that between 30 and 80 percent of dairy cattle carry E. coli O157:H7. Most cattle and dairy cows live on efficient, high yeild, farms where they are fed nutrient-packed grain.

This is why, as was pointed out by an article in the New York Times, that the ultimate source of many E. coli outbreaks are meat and dairy farms.

As it turns out, the stomachs of cattle fed grain are unnaturally acidic which kills most E. coli but not the the 0157 strain - which thrives on it. Once in a while , the manure from these cattle can contaminate groundwater - spreading E. coli bacteria to produce growing on nearby farms.

There has been research showing a quick solution to ridding, or at least lowering, the E. coli levels in cows: Cows that are switched from a grain diet to a forage diet saw within 5 days a 1,000 fold decrease in the abundance of that the abundance of strain O157. Ultimately, the US spinach industry was the victim of an outbreak it didn't directly cause. Rather, the farms that produce spinach happened to be downstream of high-production, dairy and beef factory farms.

Factory farming of animals


Operations identified as factory farms are often involved in producing food for human consumption at the lowest unit cost. Certain farming practices are commonly cited when describing an agricultural operation as a factory farm; the scale and intensity of their application are also important factors. These practices may include:

  • confinement — To save space and improve supervision and feeding operations, animals are confined in pens or cages. In some cases, animals may be confined in small indoor areas, unable to turn around, lie down, or move without contacting other animals.
  • drug programs — Antibiotics, vitamin Vitamin

    Vitamins are nutrient [i]s required for essential metabolic reactions in the body . ... 

    s, hormones, and other supplements are preemptively administered to prevent potential spread of disease and encourage growth.
  • processed feed Fodder

    In agriculture [i], fodder or animal feed is any foodstuff [i] that is used specifically to f ... 

    — Feeds may be processed on site. While traditional feeds such as hay Hay

    Hay is dried grass [i] or legumes [i] cut and used for animal feed. ... 

     and grain Cereal

    Cereal crops [i] are mostly grasses [i] cultivated for their edible grains or seed [i] ... 

     may be fed to animals, recycled and by-product feeds may be added or substituted. This allows cows to convert otherwise unutilized nutrients into milk and meat .
  • large numbers of animals — Farms may contain extremely large animal counts.


In the US, this type of business is identified by the federal government as a concentrated animal feeding operation , and as such is subject to anti-pollution regulations aimed at protecting groundwater.

Criticism


Opponents say that factory farming is inhumane,, poses health Health

Health is the functional and/or metabolic efficiency of an organism, at any moment in time, at both the ... 

 risks, and causes environmental Natural environment

The natural environment comprises all living and non-living things that occur naturally [i] on Earth [i] ... 

 damage. Arguments and claims include:
  • Disease — Animals raised on antibiotics are breeding antibiotic resistant strains of various bacteria Bacteria

    Bacteria are a major group of living organism [i]s. ... 

     .
  • Air and water pollution — Large quantities and concentrations of waste are produced . Lake Lake

    A lake is a body of water or other liquid of considerable size surrounded by land.... 

    s, river River

    A river is a large natural waterway [i]. ... 

    s, and groundwater Groundwater

    Groundwater is water [i] located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of... 

     are at risk when animal waste is improperly recycled. Pollutant gases are also emitted. Dust, fly, and odor problems are created for people living in the immediate region.
  • Inhumane — Crowding, drugging, and performing surgery on animals. Chicks are debeaked hours after birth, commonly by slicing off the beak with a hot blade. Confining hens and pigs in barren environments leads to physical problems such as osteoporosis and joint pain, and also boredom and frustration, as shown by repetitive or self-destructive behaviour known as stereotypes.
  • Resource overuse — Large populations of animals require a commensurately large amount of water Water

    Water is a taste [i]less, odor [i]less substance that is essential to all known forms of life [i] and i ... 

     and are depleting water resources Water resources

    Water resources are sources of water [i] that are useful or potentially useful to humans. ... 

     in some areas.
  • Taste — Some opponents, especially those who support organic farming, also claim that the taste of the meat produced through intensive farming differs from naturally grown animals.


Opponents believe that factory farming is responsible for many foodborne illnesses and many of our food safety risks. An estimated one out of every four cattle Cattle

Cattle are domesticated [i] ungulate [i]s, a member of the subfamily [i] Bovinae [i] of t ... 

 that enters a slaughterhouse Slaughterhouse

A slaughterhouse, also called an abattoir , is a facility where farm animal [i]s are kill [i]ed an ... 

 may host toxic forms of the bacteria E. coli Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli , usually abbreviated to E.... 

, and this is blamed on fecal contamination resulting from closely confined animals wallowing in their own manure. A Consumer Reports study of nearly 500 supermarket chickens found campylobacter Campylobacter

Campylobacter is a genus [i] of Gram-negative [i] bacteria [i]. ... 

 in 42 percent and salmonella Salmonella

Salmonella is a genus [i] of rod-shaped Gram-negative [i] enterobacteria [i] that ... 

 in 12 percent, with up to 90 percent of the bacteria resistant to antibiotics. Eggs pose a salmonella threat to one out of every 50 people each year. In total, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is an agency of the U.S.... 

 estimates that there are 76 million instances of foodborne illness each year, and more than 5,000 deaths.

Proponents



Proponents, while they do not use the term factory farming, claim that large-scale, intensive farming is a useful and proven agricultural advance. A variety of advantages are claimed.

  • Low cost — Intensive agriculture is necessary to meet demand for affordable food.
  • Efficient — Animals in confinement can be supervised more closely than free-ranging animals, and diseased animals can be treated faster. Further, more efficient production of meat, milk, or eggs results in a need for fewer animals to be raised, thereby limiting the impact of agriculture on the environment.
  • Safe — Properly run factory farms meet and exceed the government standards for safe and humane food production of the countries in which they are located, and provide a stable food supply for the populace.
  • Economic contribution — The high input costs of agricultural operations result in a large influx and distribution of capital to a rural area from distant buyers rather than simply recirculating existing capital. A single dairy cow contributes over $1300 US to a local rural economy each year, each beef cow over $800, meat turkey $14, and so on. As Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff states, “Research estimates that the annual economic impact per cow is $13,737. In addition, each $1 million increase in PA milk sales creates 23 new jobs. This tells us that dairy farms are good for Pennsylvania's economy.”
  • Industry is responsible and self-regulating — Organizations representing factory farm operators claim to be proactive and self-policing when it comes to improving practices according to the latest food safety and environmental findings. A 2002 article by a representative of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, arguing against increased CAFO regulation, stated, "Poultry growers, largely free of regulatory controls, are managing their litter in an environmentally sound, agronomically beneficial manner."


Proponents also dispute the foodborne illness argument. They note the fact that E. coli Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli , usually abbreviated to E.... 

 grows naturally in most mammals, including humans, and that only a few strains of E. coli are potentially hazardous to humans. They also note that diseases naturally occur among chickens and other animals. Properly cooking food can effectively remove risk factors by killing bacteria. Proponents argue that there is widespread demand for a cheap, reliable source of meat.

Factory farming of plants


Main article at organic farming Organic farming

Organic farming is a form of agriculture which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetic fertilizers [i] ... 



Factory farming also at times describes some large produce and grain operations. The general criteria are similar to those for livestock factory farms.
  • large scale — hundreds or thousands of acres of a single crop ;
  • monoculture — large areas of a single crop, often raised from year to year on the same land, or with little crop rotation Crop rotation

    Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of dissimilar type of crops [i] in the same space in s ... 

    ;
  • agrichemicals — reliance on imported, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to provide nutrients and to mitigate pests and diseases, these applied on a regular schedule; the use of fertilizer recycled from toxic waste and other hazardous industrial byproducts is common in the US.
  • hybrid seed — use of specialized hybrids designed to favor large scale distribution ;
  • genetically engineered crops — use of GMOs varieties designed for large scale production ;
  • large scale irrigation — heavy water use, and in some cases, growing of crops in otherwise unsuitable regions by extreme use of water .


Critics of factory farmed crops cite a wide range of concerns, many of which have not been scientifically investigated to any great degree. On the food quality front, it is held by critics that quality is reduced when crops are bred and grown primarily for cosmetic and shipping characteristics. Environmentally, factory farming of crops is claimed to be responsible for loss of biodiversity Biodiversity

Biodiversity or biological diversity is the diversity of life [i].... 

, degradation of soil quality, soil erosion, food toxicity and pollution .

Factory farming around the world


Rules and regulations governing agriculture vary by region. Where there is greater public concern over food-related issues, restrictions on farming practices tend to increase. In 2003, a Worldwatch Institute publication stated that "factory farming methods are creating a web of food safety, animal welfare, and environmental problems around the world, as large agribusinesses attempt to escape tighter environmental restrictions in the European Union and the U.S. by moving their animal production operations to less developed countries."

Social and ethical considerations



Factory farming has extremely vocal opponents, mainly from two broad-based camps, animal rights Animal rights

Animal rights, animal liberation, or animal personhood, Michael, Steven.... 

 advocates and environmental activists. These may be considered popular movements Social movement

Social movements are a type of group action [i].... 

, representing a diversity of philosophies, with individual organizations basing their platforms on everything from science Science

Science in the broadest sense refers to any system of knowledge attained by verifiable means.... 

 to religion Religion

Religion is a system of social coherence based on a common group of belief [i]s or attitudes concerning ... 

. There are groups specifically opposed to factory farming. Other organizations include factory farming as one of their areas of activity over a broader range of concerns.

The organic movement is a somewhat special case in this regard, by defining what is not factory farming. A number of countries, including the United States, the member states of the European Union European Union

The European Union is an intergovernmental [i] and supranational [i] ... 

, and Japan Japan

is an island country [i] in East Asia [i]. ... 

 have legislated organic production standards Organic certification

Organic certification is a certification process for producers of organic food [i] and other organic agricultural [i] ... 

 which in practice prohibit factory farming. These detailed regulations cover all aspects of agricultural production, processing, storage and transportation. Requirements such as minimum open pasture area for livestock effectively preclude factory farming practices. Organic regulations are, however, in the domain of consumer protection Consumer protection

Consumer protection is a form of government [i] regulation [i] which protects the interests of consumer [i] ... 

, not agricultural policy, and are entirely voluntary—only producers who wish to market "organic" products need apply. While organic food Organic food

Organic food is food [i] produced according to organic standards, which means crops grown without the us... 

 represents only about 2% of food sales worldwide, some surveys indicate a disproportionately high degree of participation. For example, in the U.S., some recent surveys indicate that upwards of 50% of consumers say they purchase some organic food products on a regular basis, but it is impossible to determine from this the true level of concern over factory farming.

Alternatives to factory farming


The definition of factory farming is somewhat variable, and the proposed alternatives to factory farming are not sharply defined. In general, critics of factory farming advocate decentralized approaches to food production, such as smaller farms serving local markets, and the reduction or elimination of synthetic agents in agriculture. Some have also proposed Genetically modified Genetic engineering

Genetic engineering, genetic modification and gene splicing are terms for the process of ma... 

 foods as a solution in alleviating some of the issues of factory farming, including excess use of pesticides and fertilizers. The most common counter argument is that chemical-based, industrialized farming is necessary in order to feed the billions of humans on the planet.

See also

  • agribusiness
  • Compassion In World Farming Compassion In World Farming

    Compassion In World Farming is a Europe [i]an based animal welfare [i] organisation, which has branches ... 

  • corporate farming
  • Environmental vegetarianism Environmental vegetarianism

    Environmental vegetarianism is the practice of vegetarianism [i] based on the belief that the production ... 

  • feedlot Feedlot

    A feedlot or feedyard is a type of concentrated animal feeding operation [i] which is used for fattening ... 

  • Intensive pig farming Intensive pig farming

    Intensive piggeries are a type of concentrated animal feeding operation [i] specialized for the raising... 

  • PETA
  • Organic farming Organic farming

    Organic farming is a form of agriculture which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetic fertilizers [i] ... 

  • Concentrated animal feeding operation Concentrated animal feeding operation

    In agriculture [i], a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation is a farm [i] that raises livestock [i] and ... 

  • Compassion Over Killing Compassion Over Killing

    Compassion Over Killing is a nonprofit animal protection [i] organization based in Washington, D.C. [i], ... 

  • Farm Sanctuary Farm Sanctuary

    Farm Sanctuary was founded in 1986 to combat the abuses of factory farming [i] and to encourage a new awarenes ... 



References


Editors' note: Due to the controversial and current nature of this topic, certain cited sources may be challenged by some as biased and even non-factual. The onus on the individual reader to apply critical thinking, and perhaps to pursue further research on the topic, is likely to be greater here than for many other articles.

External links


Government regulation

  • - from the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture

Proponent, neutral, and industry-related

  • , article on case studies of the impact of large scale agriculture
  • , Farm and Ranchers association


Criticism of factory farming

  • resources for consumers
  • - Article with links to photos and videos of factory farming
  • - Video of Foie Gras production
  • Promoting sustainable, responsible, and ethical animal husbandry
  • from The Humane Society of the United States
  • - Video of hens in battery cages at various intensive egg farming facilities.
  • - a parody of The Matrix The Matrix

    The Matrix is a science fiction [i]/action [i] film [i] written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski [i] ... 

  • - the second installment of the Meatrix parodying The Matrix The Matrix

    The Matrix is a science fiction [i]/action [i] film [i] written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski [i] ... 

  • - a PETA-produced factory farm tour narrated by Alec Baldwin Alec Baldwin

    Alexander Rae Baldwin III is an Oscar [i]-nominated American [i] actor [i].... 

  • - Undercover investigation of a Tyson Foods processing plant