chamberswhyworry


 * Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and Factory Farming **

====Industrial farming has boomed in recent years due to mass production efforts and has brought on a wave of environmental problems. Industrial farms have perpetuated in agriculture because for economic reasons. Industrial farms "rely on external inputs from farm input industries". Such commodities include synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fossil fuels, and machinery. The idea of a CAFO, in essence, is to mimic a “factory.” The purpose is to produce more meat on less land at a lower price; however, the true costs are placed on and environmental health. More animals are now being raised on less land than before, and they are being crammed into huge buildings or feeding operations with no access to fresh air. Animals are usually separated from their mothers one or two days after birth and are subjected to painful procedures without anesthesia. Also, water and fossil fuels are consumed in large quantities to run the operation and transport the meat all over the nation. The number of CAFOs has increased significantly in the last decade. There was a 10 year period in California, where the “number of animals per CAFO operation rose by 200%”. ==== ====**Impacts on Human and Environmental Health ** ==== ====Industrial farming is inherently unsustainable. It causes pollution in waterways, allows larger corporations to ship their meat to far locations, and may also cause disease among the human population. CAFOs are a major source of pollution in both air and water. Particulate matter (like dust, etc) and hydrogen sulfide is known to cause human respiratory problems. Also, excessive nutrients may build up in waterways from lagoon spills, causing toxic algal blooms and depleting oxygen levels for fish. Manure lagoons both pollute ground water and deplete it. Ruptured lagoons can cause massive fish kills and arsenic (used in chicken feed) is a known toxin that can cause blood vessel damage. Antibiotics used by farmers are known to cause the growth of disease-resistant bacteria which are hard to treat in both animals and people. CAFOs are being held responsible for the spread of swine flu. Pigs are fed massive amounts of antibiotics to keep them alive, yet “hundreds of thousands are vulnerable to the stress of violent mutations and intensive confinement". CAFOs breed pathogens and “centralized distribution helps spread them”. For example, the deadly E. coli bacteria that sickened 47 McDonald’s customers came from CAFO practices. E. coli is not just found in meat, but also in vegetables and even cookie dough. The product that is sold as meat to consumers also has health implications such as " colon, breast, and prostate cancer, and type II diabetes".  ==== ====**Possible Solutions **  ==== ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">If the problem of CAFOs is not addressed, the ecological and health impacts would continue and this method of unsustainable agriculture will remain intact. ==== <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">· Regulation. Since the cost of cleaning up contamination from CAFOs isn't included in the price of meat, regulations from both local and national government would help hold CAFOs accountable for their pollution. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> · Education and awareness. Educating citizens about CAFOs and where their food comes from would be a major step in solving the problem of CAFOs. A consolidated community effort would allow citizens to choose whether or not they want a factory farm in their community. An informed decision-making body may put pressure on these corporations to mitigate exhaustive resource and land use practices. Consumers who by local, organic, or free-range food are making significant steps to support sustainable agriculture. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> · Tax incentives - Placing a tax on meat that is farmed in a CAFO would encourage consumers to buy more local food, therefore (hopefully) this would decrease the amount of CAFO operations nationwide. Sustainable agriculture does not harm the environment the way factory farms do.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Background on CAFOs **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; padding-right: 10px;">[] – A video by David Kirby revealing the environmental impact of CAFOs <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; padding-right: 10px;">[] - A Q&A about CAFOs from an environmental law center. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; padding-right: 10px;">[] – A Video by PETA exposing the brutality to animals and the horrible conditions within CAFOs. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; padding-right: 10px;">[] - How America’s top pork producer, Smithfield Foods, is feeding pigs massive amounts of antibiotics, resulting in the spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens (such as Swine Flu). <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; padding-right: 10px;">[] - (Peer reviewed article). Summarizes the impact of CAFOs on sustainability and environmental health while developing a persuasive argument for sustainable agriculture as a solution.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Links **


 * Sources: **

"CAFOs Feed a Growing Problem - Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations | Endangered Species Bulletin | Find Articles at BNET." Find Articles at BNET | News Articles, Magazine Back Issues & Reference Articles on All Topics. Web. 09 Sept. 2010. <<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; padding-right: 10px;">[] >.

"Help Save Farm Animals - Stop Factory Farming." Animal Rights, Animal Welfare, Wildlife, Adopt An Animal. Web. 09 Sept. 2010. <<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; padding-right: 10px;">[] >.

"NRDC: Pollution from Giant Livestock Farms Threatens Public Health." NRDC: Natural Resources Defense Council - The Earth's Best Defense. Web. 08 Sept. 2010. <<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; padding-right: 10px;">[] >.

"Pew Commission Says Industrial Scale Farm Animal Production Poses âUnacceptableâ Risks to Public Health, Environment - The Pew Charitable Trusts." The Pew Charitable Trusts - Non Profit Organization Serving the Public. Web. 09 Sept. 2010. <<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; padding-right: 10px;">[] >.