Just a few short decades ago, most of the food in the United States was produced on small-scale farms without the use of chemicals or other harmful practices. However, as more Americans became too busy to eat well or even too lazy to prepare wholesome meals, the industrial food business was able to flourish. Food today is produced extremely different than how it was in the past, and many people have no idea where their food actually comes from. Most of the food that is sold in grocery stores comes from factory farms, which are large-scale industrial farms owned by big corporations. Factory farms are used because they produce huge quantities of food, fast, and for a cheap price. They also create job opportunities for local people; yet, they are putting all other farmers out of business. The large corporations that own factory farms also only care about making a profit and therefore do not care if the practices they use are ethical or sustainable; the top four meat companies in the world own 80 percent of the market (Farrell). Most people are aware that the practices used in factory farms are harmful to the animals in them, but how do you feel knowing that those practices harm humans and our environment as well? Factory farms result in many unfavorable consequences, like widespread diseases, pollution, and unhealthy food choices. As food production becomes more industrialized and the livability and well-being of those on Earth worsens, the more critical it is to ban the use of factory farms due to the extremely harmful effects they have on humans and our environment.

In my paper, I am going to argue why factory farms should be banned due to their harmful effects on humans' well being. First, I will discuss the effects that factory farming has on human health, including the diseases and bacteria that factory farms animals spread to humans, the build up of antibiotic resistance that they cause, and the mental and physical illnesses that arise due to the toxins that are leaked from factory farms. I will then go on to discuss the negative implications that factory farming has on the environment; the reason I am also describing the effects that factory farms have on the environment in my argument, is because the surrounding environment directly effects humans' well being. Humans live and breathe whatever is in their environment, so if it's being harmed, humans are also affected. I will explain the various practices used in factory farming and how they lead to global warming, as well as land corruption. After, I will explain why factory farming is used and the counterarguments against my claim. Lastly, I will explain a few alternatives that can be used in place of factory farming and why they are better-suited practices that will ensure humans a better quality life.

The Effects on Humans                                                                                                             

Factory farms use CAFOS, Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, which force hundreds of animals into small living spaces. The close living conditions, along with very little air circulation and tons of animal waste makes it easier for disease to spread throughout the animals. In many cases, the diseases also affect those who consume the infected animals, epitomizing the saying, "You are what you eat." 

E-coli is the most common bacteria that animals spread to humans and can be done in many ways. One of those ways is through cows; even though cows' bodies are not made to digest corn, large-scale farmers still feed it to them, because it's cheap (Floegel). The bacteria, E-coli, evolves when cows digest corn, and subsequently, the bacteria is able to infect the food that we consume. E-coli first emerged in cows in the late 1970s and according to the USDA, the bacterium is now present in 28 percent of cattle entering midwestern slaughterhouses. In the article, "The Dirt on Factory Farms," the author Mark Floegel gives specific facts regarding the seriousness of the E-coli bacterium and its harmful effect on human beings. He states, "An estimated 60 people in the United States die each year from E-coli contamination and another 73,000 become ill. In 1994, four children died after eating fast-food hamburgers contaminated with E-coli. In 1997, 25 million pounds of hamburger processed by Hudson Foods was recalled for E-coli contamination and Hudson lost its contract with Burger King, its largest customer." There have also been numerous scientific studies, along with government records, that suggest that almost all chickens are infected with E-coli and out of the chickens that are transported to retail grocery stores, 39 to 75 percent of them are still infected with the bacteria (Sinilong). 

Influenza is another very serious disease that is spread to humans as a result of factory farm practices. The use of CAFOS in industrial factory farming makes animals, particularly swine and birds, very susceptible to the influenza virus, which they can pass on to humans. The most recent case was the 2009-2010 Mexican H1N1 outbreak (Hollenback). From 1918 to 2010, there were seven influenza outbreaks in places such as China, the U.S., and Mexico all caused by swine and birds. The issue of diseases that are spread from animals in factory farms to consumers is one of the many dangerous problems that result from factory farm practices. 

To compensate for the widespread diseases among the animals, factory farmers inject various antibiotics into the animals. The antibiotics are then transferred to those that consume the animals, which is causing antibiotic-resistance in humans (Peeples). Antibiotics are also injected into perfectly healthy livestock to ensure faster growth. What farmers don't know is that they are only making their animals more resistant towards the antibiotics and that one-day they will stop working. The U.S. FDA estimates that 80 percent of the country's antibiotics are given to food animals (Peeples), when a majority of the antibiotics in the country should be saved to treat ill humans. Another factory farm practice involves using the livestock's waste as fertilizer. By doing this, the farmer is spreading the antibiotic-filled excrement further and further and subsequently, the waste ends up polluting the soil and nearby streams. The antibiotic genes are able to mix with other forms of bacteria, making those bacteria antibiotic resistant (Peeples). This is a huge problem for when those bacteria enter humans causing them to become ill, and they cannot be treated with the antibiotics prescribed by doctors. Researchers believe that antibiotic resistance will likely be the biggest public health challenge that the world will face this century (Peeples).

Consuming products that were produced in factory farms isn't the only way humans can experience the repercussions of factory farming; even just working or living in the vicinity of one puts you at a risk for exposure to the harmful toxins they emanate. The dust that comes from CAFOs contains bacteria, mold, and fungi that impose huge health risks to workers and nearby residents (Hollenback). In a study of pig confinements in Texas, 20% of workers suffered from Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome (ODTS), which is an illness, much like influenza, that follows after four to six hours of intense exposure to the dust from CAFOs (Hollenback). The toxins released from factory farms also result in many other health hazards, primarily effecting CAFO workers. In the article, "'Won't You be My Neighbor?' Living with Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations," the author Emily Kolbe states, "Air pollution is the other major source of problems, with up to forty percent of CAFO workers experiencing serious respiratory illnesses, including chronic bronchitis, organic dust toxin syndrome, and sinusitis. The toxins to which CAFO workers are exposed vary, but they include hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and particulate matter. CAFO workers also have an increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders and loss of hearing from heightened noise levels." Poultry workers, in particular, are at a much higher risk than many others to experience negative work-related symptoms, with their average illness and injury rate being twice the national average. A National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) study found that one-third of all poultry workers have a muscular-skeletal disorder, caused from working in a factory farm (Floegel). So even though factory farms create job opportunities for local people, are they really worth it when they result in numerous harmful effects on human health?

One of the main reasons that people argue for the use of factory farms is because of their cheap cost especially compared to their competition. "In contrast to 'factory farms,' there is a growing demand for niche farms such as organic and locally grown. Typically, products from specialty farms will cost more than similar products produced on an industrial scale. While some people will be able to afford custom-raised crops and livestock, many others will find the extra cost inaccessible," (Zingula). While it is true that industrial factory farms produce cheaper food, those costs do not include the external costs that factory-farming practices have on both human health and the environment. Foods that are produced in factory farms are sprayed with chemicals and pesticides, which lower the nutritional value for the consumer. So, while consumers do pay less for factory farm produce, they are also receiving produce with fewer nutrients than they would if they bought food produce from local, sustainable farms. The costs also don't account for the damage that is done to the environment in the process of producing food in factory farms.

The effects on the environment

Since the animals in CAFOS practically have to live in their own feces, there is a constant build up of toxins. One root of the toxins is the excessive amount of manure that builds up in CAFOs. When large quantities of manure occupy a relatively small area, such as factory farms, there is an excess of nutrients that the soil is unable to absorb (Wuerthner). Subsequently, the nutrients are leached into groundwater and pollute nearby bodies of water; the vast amounts of manure also pollute the air. The overabundance of manure releases toxic chemicals into the air such as nitrogen and phosphorus. In the article "Factory Farming Damages Land and Water," the author George Wuerthner states, "The world's livestock produces 25% of the global greenhouse gases, with the waste lagoons of factory farms contributing another 5%. And according to a UN [United Nations] report, the global livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO2 equivalent -- 18 percent -- than transport." In contrast, Curt Zingula discusses in his opinion article, "Appreciate 'factory farms'," the positives of factory farming and gives solutions to the problems that arise from their practices; one issue that he tackles is the leakage of manure into streams and other waterways, causing the water to be polluted with toxins.  He states, "The advent of livestock confinement facilities also has been disparaged as 'factory farming.' Like it or not, the first step in preventing manure from washing into streams is to confine livestock. Imagine the consequences if all of Iowa's 50 million laying hens were 'free range'," (Zingula). The problem with Zingula's solution is that the reason manure is such a huge issue with factory farms and contributor to pollution, is because factory farms are confining animals into too small of spaces. While the author's solution may seem like a valid one, it will not change how factory farms are damaging the environment. The only legitimate way to end factory farm's negative impact on the environment is to ban them completely, or the state of Earth will continue to deteriorate, therefore so will the well being of all humans.

Livestock raised in factory farms for meat consumption are also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and significantly add to climate change. In the United Nations Global Environmental Alert Service's article, "Meat Production Is a Major Contributor to Climate Change," the organization discusses the impacts of factory farming on the environment, and in particular, global warming. "Today, [according to a UN Food and Agriculture Organization study by H. Steinfeld et al.,] 'the livestock sector emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems'"(GAES). The issue on climate change is a bigger concern now than it ever has been and the problem is just going to continue to get worse. There are constantly new reports stating that records have been broken relating to global warming, with one of the most prominent being that 2015 was the hottest year on record. Global warming will lead to rising sea levels, droughts, food scarcity, and the extinction of many plants and animal species. Industrial animals and the practices that factory farms use to raise them are adding to the deterioration of our planet and are partially to blame for the climate change we are currently experiencing. 

Factory farming is also causing a loss in land and biodiversity. One reason in particular that the U.S. is losing acreage to factory farms is due to the inefficiency of producing meat for human consumption. In the article "Factory Farming Damages Land and Water," the author George Wuerthner states that, "in the United States, domestic livestock consume 5 times as much grain as the entire American population," and "if the cropland currently used to grow grain fed to livestock were directed towards growing crops for human consumption, we could feed 800 million additional people or more likely provide a decent meal for those whose diet is inadequate." In 2008 alone, 87 million acres were used to grow corn for industrial animals to eat; for comparison, Montana, the fourth largest state in the U.S., is 93 million acres (Wuerthner). Essentially, that is one whole state wasted for the use of food production for industrial animals. Agriculture is also the largest user of U.S. water resources and confined animal operations are the largest per capita consumer of water (Wuerthner). 

Alternatives

There are no laws or regulations regarding the practices of factory farms. In the article, "Isn't That Illegal?" the author Katie Cantrell discusses the lack of factory farm regulations and its ramifications. In 2005, the Environmental Protection Agency made a deal with factory farms that allowed the EPA to monitor a few factory farms' air pollution levels and in return, the rest of the industry would be immune from all past and future violations of the Clean Air Act. Factory farms also do not have to follow the Right-to-Know Act, which gives workers and surrounding communities the right to know what toxic chemicals they're being exposed to. 

However, there is an alternative to factory farming that does not include harmful effects. The alternative is called "sustainable farming" where crops are grown on small-scale farms without the synthetic pesticides that are used in factory farming techniques and sold locally. Also, in sustainable farming, animals are raised on pastures and in conditions that suit them biologically and are also well cared for. Even though sustainable farming might cost a little more than factory farming does, the healthy impacts that it has on human and animal well being, along with the food that humans consume, greatly outweigh the cost difference. 

In order to reduce the hazardous effects of global warming caused by the production of meat, consumers must change their diet habits to include less red meat and dairy products.

In the article "Factory Farming Damages Land and Water," the author George Wuerthner suggests, "A shift to smaller, diverse farms, and a reduction, if not outright elimination of meat consumption, would both contribute to a huge reduction in environmental impacts of animal agriculture." Also, factory farms heavily rely on meat consumers, being that meat is typically their main product; if more people were to eat less meat, factory farms would have no reason remain open.  

In order to make the world we live in a safer place for human well-being it is up to consumers to take the first step; there are many ways that an individual can help reverse the slowly deteriorating state of the world's environment, which is harming humans health and well being. Whether it is buying food from local farms or farmers markets, becoming more educated on where their food comes from, decreasing the amount of meat they consume, or even eliminating meet from their diet all together, every step counts in moving forward to a healthier and happier world, free of industrialized factory farms. 

