Factory farms (aka Confined Animal Feeding Operations CAFO) degrade the environment, threaten human health, compromise animal welfare, and devastate local communities. CAFO’s are designed to maximize production with no regard for animal welfare, public health, the environment, food safety, rural economies, or surrounding communities.
In researching this post, I’ve concluded that the factory farm’s affect on us, our environment, our treatment of sentient beings and worldwide health is such a huge issue and considerably more complex then what can be covered under one post. So for the purposes of Blog Action Day, I will only reveal the affects of hog farming on climate change, our health, and of course, the horrible conditions that pigs are kept under in order to feed us.
First let’s review some facts:
- One hog produces 3 times more waste then a human.
- 66% of the hog market is controlled by a mere 4 corporations in the US
- Smithfield Foods, which is the largest of the 4, slaughters 27 million hogs a year
- 500,000 hogs at one of Smithfield’s CAFO’s in Utah creates 8 times more waste then Salt Lake City
Where does this waste go you ask? Unlike Salt Lake City where human waste is strictly regulated, as in all cities and towns, as to how it is to be treated, there is no such regulations for hog factory farms. Hog waste is collected in what is called “Manure Lagoons” and then spread over the surrounding area cropland. The problem stems from the fact that hogs produce much more waste than can be absorbed by the croplands and so these enormous manure lagoons overflow polluting nearby rivers, lakes and land. In North Carolina, millions of gallons of hog waste from Smithfield’s lagoons have polluted rivers and lakes.
Another even more alarming aspect of hog factory farms and one that directly affects climate change is the amount of ammonia that is released into the air by the manure lagoons. In North Carolina alone, it is estimated that manure lagoons on 2400 large hog factory farms emit at least 186 tons of ammonia into the air every single day. This ammonia is then returned to the ground by way of rain and snow. Ammonia is the most potent form of nitrogen that is responsible for algae blooms and fish kills in coastal waters. Efforts by the Environmental Defense Fund and other groups to urge state regulators to limit the amount of ammonia gases emitted from large hog operations as part of a program to control odors that often engulf nearby neighborhoods are being rendered impotent by opposition from the big hog corporations who are able to finance campaigns to convince the public that hog farms are not harming the environment.
Hundreds of thousands of pigs confined to small areas where even turning around or laying down is near impossible are injected with a variety of drugs, mostly antibiotics, to curtail the spread of disease which would wipe them all out. These antibiotics do not evaporate into thin air once the animal is slaughtered but continue to reside in the meat of the animal right up until it enters our mouths at the dinner table. What are you eating for dinner tonight?
As to the cruelty inflicted on pigs in factory farms… words cannot suffice. You must see for yourself…
Do you dare?
In conclusion, there is nothing good about hog factory farms. Not only do they poison the air we breath, they contaminate the food we eat and cause endless suffering to innocent, intelligent sentient beings. If we don’t call for an end to factory farming, they will be the death of us all.
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I watched the video and didn’t see any cruelty. I did see a grossly run down facility in desperate need of repair or replacement, but I failed to see any cruelty.
Your claims are purely your opinion and have no basis in fact. You make claims but back them up with nothing.
Factory farms degrade the environment, How?
threaten human health, How?
compromise animal welfare, How?
and devastate local communities. How?
CAFO’s are designed to maximize production with no regard for animal welfare,? public health,? the environment, ? food safety,? rural economies,? or surrounding communities. ?
In researching this post, I’ve concluded that the factory farm’s affect on us, our environment, our treatment of sentient beings and worldwide health is such a huge issue and considerably more complex then what can be covered under one post.
So huge you can’t even address one aspect of your claims.
First let’s review some facts:
* One hog produces 3 times more waste then a human.
* 66% of the hog market is controlled by a mere 4 corporations in the US
* Smithfield Foods, which is the largest of the 4, slaughters 27 million hogs a year
* 500,000 hogs at one of Smithfield’s CAFO’s in Utah creates 8 times more waste then Salt Lake City
How are these facts relevant to anything?
Where does this waste go you ask? It is utilized the grow the crops so prized and revered by non meat eaters.
There are a miriad of regulations regarding hog farm manure, and large fines for those who fail to follow them.
ammonia is then returned to the ground by way of rain and snow. Ammonia is the most potent form of nitrogen that is responsible for algae blooms and fish kills in coastal waters.
Nitrogen is vital for production of vegetation, something I guess you need to survive.
Off coast algal blooms and fish kill are almost exclusively the result of artificial fertilizers, not hog manure.
What are you eating for dinner tonight? Roast pork, which, incidentally, I raised myself on a 10,000 hog farm.
Antibiotic use on livestock farms is kept to a minimum, and is only used as it would be in human health, as a means to cure a sick animal.
There is much that is good about intensive hog farming.
Hog farms:
Produce a healthy, protein rich food source for a hungry population.
Provide natural fertilizer for local grain farmers.
Protects animals and humans alike from disease, predators and the elements.
Have freed stockmen from the highly intensive labour requirements of the past.
Free up land which can be utilized by wildlife.
Dear Pig Lover,
First of all, let’s be clear about one thing right off that bat. This is “my” blog and so it is inherently going to reflect my opinion. If you don’t like that, I suggest you don’t read my blog.
Secondly, I always research my topics and report what I find. I just don’t make things up based on biased “in it for the profit” reasons unlike others I could mention. I would imagine there is a certain amount of trust between my readers and I that I don’t report bullshit without me having to actually write out all my sources and provide testimonials.
The facts are available for anyone to find who can read and who doesn’t have a vested interest in making sure factory farms continue to torture animals, poison our air and waterways and force people to unknowingly ingest God knows what types of chemicals that are injected into these animals to make them “market ready”. Google factory farming, the results are almost endless.
I visited your little hell hole on the net, you who call yourselves Peta Sucks, Peta standing for People who Eat Tasty Animals. That alone speaks volumes as to where your heads are at and might I warn you that the sun hasn’t shone up there in a long time so you might want to think about pulling yours out and having a look around in daylight.
Your arguments countering the facts are weightless and I can say the same about your assertions that you accuse me of. Where is your proof for what you claim? I see nothing in your comments that provides any countering data to what I posted. Only your opinion which is more meaningless then mine since as I said already, this is MY blog.
I have to give you credit though, you ended your post with a killer ending statement that almost knocked me on the floor. “Free up land which can be utilized by wildlife”?? Don’t tell me, let me guess….
You’re also a hunter aren’t you?