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Megan Peterson
English 3630
FRR-Lit Review

Industrial Farming: The Consumer's Fault?

Industrial farming, also known as factory farming or intensive animal farming, is a form of
farming described by the Merriam Webster Dictionary as A farm on which large numbers of livestock
are raised indoors in conditions intended to maximize production at minimal cost. Over the years
industrial farming has taken over family farms and now dominate America's farming society. Industrial
or factory farming accounts for ninety-nine percent of farm animals raised for food production.
There are many controversial debates about animal cruelty and whether animals raised on
industrial farms fit these criteria and whether these farms should be obliterated. But before we go into
the specifics of industrial farming let us first look at consumerism and why industrial farming came
about.

The Rise of Consumerism in the Industrial Revolution

The 18th century gave rise to a new era known as the Industrial Revolution that lead to an
increase in textile production which in turn lead to a better way of life. The Industrial Revolution
allowed products to be made quickly and more efficiently allowing goods and services to be sold at a
cheaper and more reasonable price. This new way of making textiles known as mass production gave
rise to consumerism which is the actions of people who spend money on goods and services (Merriam
Webster- Consumerism). For the first time in history the common people could afford products
otherwise used only by the rich and wealthy .
Although the Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain it slowly made it's way to America
where raw materials were found and then used for the production of manufactured goods. As these raw

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materials were made into clothing and other textiles, consumerism slowly paved the way for factories
to dominate the textile world.
Consumerism soon became a new way of life as suppliers advertised newer, cheaper and better
products. Soon people were buying goods and services out of want instead of out of necessity. The
American people began spending money on the latest models of things because newer was better
(American). Suppliers reacted by furnishing products that were cheaper to produce. These cheaper
products were less durable and had a shorter life span which allowed suppliers to increase their profits
and consumers to increase their spending.

The Fall and Eventual Rise of Consumerism

This way of life was suddenly turned upside down in 1929 as the rise of the Great Depression
halted consumerism in industrialized countries throughout the western hemisphere. The effects of the
Great Depression led to a plummet in the stock market, a steep decline in the value of personal assets
and the foreclosure of banks and other financial institutions. These crippling repercussions lead to an
economic downturn that almost reversed the effects of the Industrial Revolution. Consumerism became
all but nonexistent as the American people quickly came to mistrust the stability of the economy (The
Great). Banks were no longer a viable institution and as such money was no longer circulating through
the economy. Pleasurable purchases such as cars and clothing stopped. Spending became a thing of the
past. U.S. Citizens only spent money on necessary items such as food and shelter.
This lasted all the way up to World War 2 when the world was forced to supply weapons and
ammunition for another World War. Factories were up and running and economies around the world
made a turn for the better. As American soldiers were shipped off to help with the war effort it was up
to the women left at home to accept their new role in society and enter the work force. By the end of
the war the American economy had been revitalized as new government programs were put into place,

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jobs were being created and the younger generation were marrying and having children (The Great). As
new families sprung all across the continent consumerism was reestablished. Young couples began to
realize that for the first time since the depression they had spending power.
As spending power increased so did consumerism. To help the flow of money in the economy
the government began advertising that spending was patriotic (The American Consumer). In order to
live the envious American dream one must buy pleasurable items such as cars, televisions and
washing machines. Herbert Hoover even took advantage of this new way of life to create his campaign
slogan, A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage. Although his campaign said a chicken in
every pot that was far from the truth. The American people weren't interested in chicken, they had
their eyes on TV dinners.
The new standard of living included a house in the suburbs, a nice car and a television. With the
rise of the television came the rise of TV dinners. This new way of life included comfort and minimal
effort. Since World War 2 time spent cooking meals has steadily decreased. During the 1960's women
spent on average 150 minutes cooking a meal, now they spend closer to 66 minutes (Ferdman). Frozen
and prepackaged meals have come to dominate American society.
This lifestyle steadily grew worse as labor-saving appliances came to dominate American life
(American Experience). Refrigerators and tupperwares allowed for more leisure time because for the
first time in history food could be stored without going bad causing women to spend less time cooking
meals. The combination of refrigerators and TV dinners were causing Americans to become fat (How)!
And not only that they were becoming lazy. Sugars, meats and salts came to dominate the American
diet. Suppliers reacted by not only inventing ready to eat meals but cheap mass produced meats as well.

Mass Production of Meat

In countries around the world meat is known as a status of wealth. When a family's income

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increases so does their consumption of meat (Charles). The process of raising a healthy animal and then
butchering it for meat is very long and time consuming causing meat to be very expensive. But as meat
became the new staple in the American diet food suppliers in the meat industry quickly figured out a
way to mass produce it, making it cheaper for every American to eat.
Small farmers could not keep up with the demands of consumers and so industrialized farming
came about to satisfy these demands. Mass produced meat through the process of industrialized
farming is the quickest and cheapest way to harvest meat at minimal cost. Industrialized farming allows
a farmer to focus on a specific farm animal such as cows, chickens or pigs and raise them on large acres
of land where they are fed a diet to fatten them at a very early age. Because they are fattened at an
earlier age farmers are able to save money on food and space. This also allows the meat to be sent to
consumers at a faster rate satisfying the cycle of supply and demand.

Industrialized Farming
Now that we have talked about the history of consumerism and it's eventual cause to factory
farming let us now talk about the specifics of factory farming and how it affects American's today.
Anyone who buys chicken, beef or pork or even eggs from the grocery store is affected by industrial
farming. Industrial farms are a lot like a monoculture because they specialize in one animal such as
cows and they raise it to maturity and sell the meat to meat packing industries where it is then sold to
grocery stores across the country.
Animals raised on industrial farms are mass produced for their meat by being bred in large
quantities. After birth they spend the majority of their life in a cage or a small feed lot where they are
raised until they reach market weight or until they are big enough to be sold for their meat. In order to
reach market weight faster with minimal cost to suppliers they are fed a diet of corn and soy. Corn and
soy are what is known as a monoculture meaning that they are cultivated and massed produced on a

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single stretch of land. Because they are mass produced they are a cheaper alternative than hay or
alfalfa. The high protein content in corn and soy is also desirable because it causes animals to gain
weight faster allowing them to reach market weight at a younger age.

Positive Effects of Industrial Farming

Consumers get what they want and suppliers get to save money. When you stop there it is a
win-win situation but the effects of industrial farming reach much further than simply reducing the
price of food. It affects every social class and every individual's day to day living.
When looking at industrial farming from an economic point of view it is evident that factory
farms have been a great asset to the economy because they have helped to create jobs and support local
businesses. Industrial farms rely heavily on machinery to stay efficient allowing other businesses the
opportunity to create, manufacture and sell machines needed on factory farms. Industrial farms also
employ jobs to those who have the ability operate these machines as well as foremen to ensure the
efficiency of their farms. They also hire inspectors to oversee the health of the animals and the facility.
Aside from creating jobs industrial farms support local businesses by bringing business to meat
packers and distributors which in turn hire truck drivers to ship the meat to various parts of the country.
They also support vet clinics by purchasing vaccines and antibiotics for their animals. This in turn
advertises to the local population that vet clinics look reliable and trustworthy allowing for increased
business. Factory farms also hire butchers to help slaughter and cut meat to prepare it to be sold to local
grocery stores.
Because industrial farming allows for meat to be mass produced it grants for greater availability
and diversity. Factory farming allows meat to not only be cheaper because of mass production but it is
able to reach the market faster because of new technologies in packaging and transportation causing it
to be available to a greater amount of people. Aside from being available to a larger population of the

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world factory farms allow for greater diversity because each farm can specialize in the raising of one
animal such as a pig or a cow. With each farm specializing in one animal the market is able to produce
and sell a greater variety of meats satisfying the needs and wants of consumers.
With fewer geographic limitations this diversified meat can reach a wide population providing
life sustaining food to the country. Without companies that assist factory farms in packaging and
transportation mass produced meat would be all for nothing. There would be no point in making
cheaper meat if it couldn't make it to the market. The combination of air tight packaging that keep out
moisture and bacteria and diesel trucks that act as refrigerators allow meat production to expand past
the local populations and communities and reach consumers everywhere.
Decreased geographic limitations also allow increased shelf life of food. Because meat is being
shipped all over the country spoiled meat is a large concern. But once again technologies in packaging
and shipping as well as inventions in preservatives increase the shelf life of meat which in turn
increases the market value while decreasing overall prices.

Money Saving Tactics on Industrial Farms

Because Industrial farms focus on creating cheap budget friendly meat at the expense of quality
there is a very wide profit margin making it an advantageous business to be in. It is very profitable
because unlike traditional farms factory farms are able to save money on the time spent raising
livestock, space and living quarters, food and the overall upkeep.
Raising an animal to maturity takes time and effort and although it creates high quality meat
profits are low. By raising livestock in feedlots instead of in fields factory farms are able to save money
on land because they are able to keep more animals in a smaller space therefore allowing more animals
to be raised on their land.
Because livestock are raised in controlled environments on industrial farms their offspring have

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a better chance at surviving as well. Industrial farms only keep females to breed if they are strong and
healthy and can handle the risks of a pregnancy. They can also be closely monitored throughout the
pregnancy allowing any complications to be caught and taken care of before they become harmful to
the mother or offspring.
The upkeep on factory farms is cheaper as well because farmers don't have to worry about
exposing their animals to the dangerous elements of nature. This increases their life span as well as
allowing farmers to focus on other tasks such weeding out the weak and sick and leaving the healthy
behind. The upkeep of herding cattle or watching over free range chickens making sure foxes or mink
don't kill them is avoided as well because industrial farms raise their animals indoors.
Industrial farms also save a lot of money on food because the demand for hay and alfalfa is
always greater than the supply causing the prices of these products to shoot through the roof. Factory
farms avoid this altogether by feeding their animals corn. Corn is cheap and always available. Corn is
also denser than hay and has a higher protein content allowing animals to grow at increased rates. By
feeding their livestock a diet of corn farmers are able to sell their animals faster as well creating more
space and food for newer offspring.

Negative Effects of Industrial Farming

As one can see there are a lot of benefits to industrial farming that traditional farming doesn't
have but before we give industrial farms too much credit let us now look at the other side of the coin in
order to get a better picture of what they are and what it means for the consumer. By looking at both
sides of the coin one can get a clear view of the full extent of factory farms and the effects it has on
American lives and their every day living.
Industrial farming is a lucrative business and those in it are there to make money. They make
money by cutting out expenses through mass production. They specialize in fast cheap meat and

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although this allows more Americans to include meat in their diet they are not getting the highest
quality out there. The secret to mass produced meat is quantity over quality. It is a numbers game one
in which the output is more important than the quality of the finished product.
Because mass produced meat is poor quality it creates health concerns for both livestock and
human's. Livestock that are raised in factory farms get no sunlight and therefore no vitamin D or fresh
air due to their indoor living quarters. These close proximity's also increase the risk of infectious
diseases and contagious viruses. Once these diseases or viruses take hold they quickly spread
throughout the herd.
Every year it is common practice to vaccinate livestock but when livestock live in enclosed
quarters they are exposed to the same viruses and bacteria every year allowing the bacteria to mutate
and become immune to vaccinations. This immunity can have detrimental effects on the health of the
herd. The health of an animal influences the quality of meat they produce because viruses as well as
traces of vaccinations can still live within the raw meat (7 Vital). These trace substances can affect
human health when meat from factory farms is digested. The evidence of these trace substances in meat
is still skeptical as well as the long term effects it has on human health but the concern is still there.
The health of the animal is worrisome as well because of the diet they are fed. Health is
determined by how nutritious the animal's diet is. Livestock are given a diet based on geographic
location, age and what the end product is such as meat, milk or eggs (What). Cattle are usually let out
to graze in the summer and fed hay in the winter months. Cattle on industrial farms are fed a diet of
corn and soy. Because this isn't a typical diet for a cow their health is greatly decreased. With a
decrease in health comes a decrease in quality of meat.
Health concerns reach much further than the animal. Human's health or the consumer's health is
affected just as equally. Not only does low quality meat provide less nutrition than high quality meat
but the livestock's standard of living creates a concern as well. Livestock just like any other living

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creature produces waste. Industrial farms keep their livestock in close living quarters causing manure to
build up. Grass fed cattle naturally fertilize fields through their waste but industrialized cattle live
indoors where their manure has no where to go. Their feces seep into the ground and into water
systems contaminating major water supplies. Contaminated water can cause serious illnesses and
disease among those who drink from it.
Another major concern is animal cruelty. Do animals raised on industrial farms live the full
extent of their lives? Or does it even matter because they are going to be turned into meat anyways?
Livestock raised on industrial farms live their entire existence in a small confined space. They rarely
see the light of day and the only human interaction they have is a human in a tractor dumping corn into
a feeder. Along with their meager diet of corn they are fed additives and hormones to fatten them up
that often lead to other major health concerns (7-Vital). The additives and hormones cause cattle and
other livestock to grow to unnatural proportions crippling the animal making it painful to walk. These
questionable living conditions offer insight into whether livestock should be treated better.

Conclusion
Industrial farming has affected the American economy in more ways than one. It has changed
the face of farming and how it is done. It has allowed for affordable meat to reach populations across
the country. There is no doubt that industrial farming has helped feed the American population but
despite this fact do the pro's outweigh the con's? The United States, second only to Australia, consumes
more meat than any other country in the world (Myers). Some people would argue that we do so at the
expense of the animal while others say that the animals life does not matter. Despite these varying
opinions consumer's still continue to eat meat and as such are telling industrial farms to continue
supplying meat.

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Works Cited

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Charles, Dan. "The Making Of Meat-Eating America." NPR. NPR, 26 June 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.
Ferdman, Roberto A. "The Slow Death of the Home-cooked Meal." Washington Post. The Washington
Post, 5 Mar. 2015. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.
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Myers, Joe. "These Countries Eat the Most Meat." World Economic Forum. 29 July 2015. Web. 19 Apr.
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