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Factory Farming

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Factory Farming
Leah Mattingly
November 19, 2013

Factory Farming: The Truth Revealed

Many people might not be aware of what really happens in factory farms, or if they do, they tend to turn a blind eye towards it. Our society has a fairytale image of how factory farm animals live: Cows grazing the luscious green fields, hens nesting in a warm, spacious barn, and pigs rolling around in mud enjoying the sunny day. This vision of farm life is far from reality, especially today with demand for cheap, delicious meat rising. Today, billions of animals are born, confined, biologically manipulated, transported, and slaughtered for human consumption. The majority of farm animals are not enjoying the ideal farm life, but instead, they are living in factory farms, also known as confined animals feeding operations (CAFOs) or intensive live-stock operations (ILOs) (Williams, Nancy). The purpose of factory farming is to produce some of the lowest prices in the world for meat, eggs, and dairy products, but is it really worth the cost? Not only is animal welfare at risk, but so is the environment and human health. Factory Farming should be banned in the United States, or even better, worldwide. Today we live in a society where animals are held at higher respect than they were ever before. Dogs have become known as a “man’s best friend” and cats are just as welcome on your couch as your family is. It is considered morally wrong to abuse any animal to the extent that we have laws protecting the welfare of animals. However, the live-stock in factory farms do not live comfortable lives. Probably the only good thing about living in a factory farm is that the animals do not live very long. Astonishingly, farmed animals are specifically excluded from the Federal Animal Welfare Act and also from most state anti-cruelty laws. In one case, during a Farm Sanctuary investigation of the ISE egg factory in early 2000 in the town of Broadway, New Jersey, two live hens were found deliberately dumped
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