In the past decade people have become more aware of what kind of food they are eating and where it comes from. There are so many different views on what we think is good to eat and why we should eat a certain way. I am interested in this research question because factory farming is a huge contender when it comes to buying animal products for affordable prices. Some consumers believe that this type of farming negatively affects our environment and human health, as well as treats the animals inhumanly. Other views consist of people only caring about the price of the food they are purchasing, not taking into account that supporting these industries may have damaging outcomes.  

When it comes to my personal experience regarding this, I would say that this topic was not as prevalent when I was growing up as it is now.  People today, are more concerned about what is going into their bodies. They want to know where and how the animal products they are buying are being produced, and every step it takes from how the animal is raised to what ends up in the super market. Activists have also uncovered more of what goes on behind the scenes of the mass production of animals. For instance, what it takes to raise so many animals at one time, the living conditions these animals have to deal with, and how they keep the animals alive.  We see that people have begun to change their eating habits more drastically in today's society because of the way things are being produced. In my household, both my parents have turned vegan because they believe that it is the healthiest way of living. They also only buy organic goods because that means the food is more nutrient dense, there are no pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, there are no synthetic growth or breeding hormones, no antibiotics or GMOS, and the animals are raised humanely. Factory farming is the complete opposite of all of this. I am qualified to write about this topic because of what I understand about this matter from my own experience and from all of the reliable sources I have found from the research I have done. 

In order to answer the question, how does the mass production of animals affect our economy, human health, and environment? We have to look at both sides of the argument and take into account why some people are against factory farming and why some people are in favor of it. Most articles on this topic are going to be against this issue because there is more evidence that covers the negative effects of factory farming. In the article, "5 Ways Factory Farming is Killing the Environment" the author, Kate good states that factory farming is one of the most unsustainable industry's in today's society.  The major evidence she uses to support the central claim of this article is by stating the five ways that this type of farming is killing the environment and then explaining why. Air pollution, deforestation, water pollution, monocultures, fossil fuels and carbon emissions are the five factors that the author uses to prove the argument. Even though this type of farming is efficient and the end product is inexpensive, the practices used to raise these animals is hurting the planet and we have to put more of an effort towards reforming the farming industry. This article came from a website that supports everything green so of course it will only show the negative impacts of this type of farming.  

In a New York Times article, "Is That Sausage Worth This" the author, Nicholas Kristof, explains the health concerns when it comes to raising our food in large farm industries. The central claim of this article is to show that the way these animals are raised is cruel, and the antibiotics and growth hormones used on these animals are dangerous for human health. The evidence used to support this claim is from observing a factory farm that raises pigs. There is no bias when it comes to this article because the author is writing this piece based on the research he has done himself.  

In order to show both sides of this argument I found a source that was in favor of factory farms. Curt Zingula, wrote an article called, "Appreciate 'factory Farms" and he wrote about all of the positive affects that this type of farming has. The central claim for this article is proving why these large farms are actually good. The evidence used to support this claim is showing that it is more efficient and people who do not have a lot of money are able to afford these animals products. This article is biased since the author of this is actually a farmer himself but he does provide good information that shows there is a good side to this topic. 

The research question is arguable because there are two sides. There are going to be people that support factory farming and then there are going to people who think it is the worst thing ever. I agree that this type of farming is efficient and the end product is affordable, but I do not think that the way these farms raise their animals is humane at all. I also believe that this industry has a lot of negative affects, especially when it comes to the environment. 

 

 
