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Jacqueline Lugo
English 101
Professor Mrs. Ludwig
May 31, 2016
Factory Farming
Since the late 1900s factory farming have increased dramatically over the last couple of
years. Factory farms were invented by scientist in 1960s in order to create a huge quantity of
affordable products. Main food products such as meat, dairy, and eggs have been more accessible
in America than ever because of the efficiency feeding and housing animals. Factory farming has
been the largest agribusiness in keeping livestocks of cattle, fish, and poultry. Everyday more
and more of processed food is being shipped out from factories to local food markets places for
Americans to consume. Although the rise of factory farms was driven by peoples desire for
more affordable and convenient food products, this industry has also resulted increased in
pollution and diseases in both humans and animals. Factory farms have affected many peoples
health and have driven the environment into a lifeless place.
Factory farming is a system of rearing livestocks using intensive methods, by which
poultry, pigs, fish, and cattle are confined indoors under strictly controlled conditions. The
production of producing red meat, chicken, and fish has been the easies method to feed a whole
nation without spending so much money. This particular method of farming ensures that every
business that relies on animal products has reliable sources that can meet the demand. It provides
the necessary volume to supply the fast food industry that feeds Americans on a daily basis.
According to a report Economics of Industrial Farm Animals Production by Harwood D.
Schaffer It contributes economically to a variety of sectors along the supply chain, including

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grain producers, feed supplement processors, swine producers, the pharmaceutical industry, meat
processors, shippers, and food retailers. (Schaffer 5) factory farming has benefited the
Americans with jobs approximately 500,000 and has increased revenue in retailing for America.
For the Americans who consume the products has as well benefitted them by how affordable
food has become as mention in an report from Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal
Production US consumers spend about 1213.6% of their total household income, or $5,491
$6,495 each year, for food which can be separated into food at home (about 55%) and food away
from home (about 45%). Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs account for about 20.923.9% or $712
$885 at-home household expenditures on food (Schaffer 11) this is why people prefer
consuming the cheaper products in order to save money and still be able to live a well lifestyle
and not worrying about starving their families. But usually people think about the price but not
the quality food or what exactly are they putting in their mouth.
Industrial agriculture has a huge impact in a human health due to high concentrated
animal feeding. Farm animals are being feed unnaturally that is causing the animals to get
diseases and humans as well. Pigs and cows are being feed with junk food such as chips and
chocolate mixed with corn and grain in order to make animals bigger which producing more fat.
Since thousands of farm animals are being captive in buildings it can also bring many unsanitary
conditions which cause diseases to the animals. According to an article The Hidden Link
between Factory Farms and Human Illness by Laura Sayre animals have been the cause of
diseases in the past decade due to The stress of factory farm conditions weakens animals'
immune systems ammonia from accumulated waste burns lungs and makes them more
susceptible to infection the lack of sunlight and fresh airas well as the genetic uniformity of
industrial farm animal populationsfacilitates the spread of pathogens. (Sayre 4) animals are not

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meant to be indoors for months. Without fresh air and eating the right type of food animals
become ill and the only way to treat the illness is by using harsh antibiotics. Antibiotics are used
for growth promotion and help bacteria become resistant to the same or similar drug.
Since factories use many cheap unnatural methods in their products, this is why food is so
affordable nowadays. There has been critical cases in where thousands of people have died from
illnesses from the food they consume from food markets, getting food poisoning and diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that Salmonella-contaminated eggs
caused 180,000 cases of sickness in the United States (Sayre 6) and yet many factories continue
producing the meat, fish, dairy, and chicken same way One in two human causes of
Campylobacter (Sayre 6). Theres have been studies on different diseases in human and one has
killed more people in the United States its named methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
(Sayre6). Not only does it affect a humans health but an animal as well. Animals has well suffer
even worst because of how its lifestyle. Due terrible conditions in factory farming it is as well
affecting the environment nature is being polluted by air and water with all the harsh chemicals
being used in farms and all the waste.
All the animal waste and toxic chemicals used on fields have affected the environment.
After all dairy, meat, and eggs are done being processes millions of gallons of the waste are
being dumped into the beautiful nature leaving a lifeless stain in America. As mentioned in the
book Pollution by Tamara L. Roleff Farmers routinely apply manure, fertilizers, insecticides
and herbicides to their fields to boost crops yields rainwater or irrigation may wash the soil
and residues from these treatments into ditches, streams, lakes, and wetlands, thereby polluting
the water supply (Roleff 13) by infecting the water it affect the surrounds in wildlife. One of the
chemicals most commonly use is pesticides, which potentially put at high risk in the environment

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and human by contaminating the soil which is the most important thing in growing fruits and
vegetables crops. Pesticide is a substance used for destroying insects or other organisms harmful
to cultivated plants or to animals. Pesticide is three types of chemicals herbicides, insecticides
and fungicide. According to Samantha Beres in her book Pesticides Herbicides, which is
kills weedsinsecticides, which kills insects, and then fungicides, which kill mold that grow on
fruits and vegetables (11). Factory farm have been misusing the chemicals and damaging the
food chain as mention an estimated 6 million to 14 million fish die from pesticides out of a
total of 141 million that are killed annually (Beres 41) and not only water but polluting air as
well pesticides is highly toxic to bees which pollinate the fruits and veggies people eat. Factory
emits gases into the air creating climate changes which is global warming. This affects people
lifestyle as well for the animals since its their home. The farmworkers are too being ill from the
harsh chemicals being used according to Beres at least 100,000 U.S. farmworkers are treated
annually for pesticides-related illness nearly 313,000 farmworkers suffer from pesticiderelated illness each year internationally and as many as 1,000 die (35) pesticides are used more
because of lower. Just because it cheap and easier to consume nourishment it should not be the
correct way to stand by it.
In the book Indruction To Water In California by David Carle mention Agricutlture also
became a major contributor to water pollution in the states surface and groundwater ecosystem
(Carle 149) due to this problem animals get sick thousands of waterfowl and shorebirds
began to be born with deformities and to die (Carle 151). If people do not stand up for the
environment it will go down the drain and nature will start to die as well. It has become a huge
problem in this world and has killed and damage fields of nature with all the chemicals leaking
from big industrial factories. Cattles from farms are drinking this polluted water and Their urine

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and feces accumulate there and introduce nitrates that promote algae growth. The ammonia in the
urine is toxic to many aquatic creatures (Carle 156) the food chain is being disrupted in the
wildlife. Theres have reports on waste such as fertilizers and urine and being gathered in
lagoons and it is simple just nasty and not a good image to see in our world. The fishes can be
gone quicker than two years if people dont support this environmental problem. Farmers should
start reusing all the waste cattles leave so it will not lead into the streams and ponds nearby. It is
a very serious matter and should be dealt with immediately before its too late. Not only does this
affect animals but the ground, the dirt absorbs the contaminated water and then farmers plant
seeds into it without realizing the contaminated soil. This leads to contaminated food products
which end up in local grocery stores. Make a move and see a change in society, be the mouth for
the farm animals in need. This will help the people and the environment.
For many decades factory farming had been part of this world that brings pros and some
cons. Factory farms bring so many varieties of food products faster and affordable but it also
comes with transmitted diseases to animals and humans and pollutes Americans fresh water and
air. Hurting the center of earth nature, there should always be alternatives to using factory farms.
Factory farming should not be misusing harsh chemicals that defect farm animals, farmworkers,
consumers, and most importantly nature. Nature is something that should be cared for and
nurtured on a daily bases and factory farming isnt doing any help. The process of the factory
farming should be minimized in how they use chemicals and have an alternative to where the
waste should end up. It is a major concern in society because many events had happen in the past
couple of years and there should be an end to it.

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Works Cited
Beres, Samantha. Pesticides. San Diego: Greenhaven, 2002. Print.
Carle, David. Introduction to Water in California. Berkeley: U of California, 2009. Print.
Roleff, Tamara L. Pollution: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 2000. Print.
Sayre, Laura. "THE HIDDEN LINK BETWEEN FACTORY FARMS AND
HUMAN ILLNESS." Academic Search Premie. P.1-9, Feb.-Mar. 2009. Web. 12 Apr. 2016
Schaffer, Harwood D., Pracha Koonnathamdee, and Daryll E. Ray. "Economics of Industrial
Farm Animal Production." Economics of Industrial Farm Animal Production (2008): n. pag.
Web