Factory farming is done as a way to mass produce large quantities of food, particularly meat, at a quicker rate than traditional farming. Its sole purpose is producing the most products and gaining the most profit. But while it has offered benefits to the society, it also has its drawbacks, making it a hot button issue between proponents and opponents. Well, to come up with a well-informed decision about this methodology of farming ourselves, it is best to look at its pros and cons. Here are some of them:
List of Pros of Factory Farming
1. It is affordable.
The prices of food have drastically dropped with the use of factory farms due to the reason that food is produced and processed at a quicker rate, involving more efficient processes.
2. It is a very lucrative business.
These factory farms’ profit margin has been large because the proper care of animals, where much of farming costs lay, is often overlooked. Also, the locations where these farms are found provide them with low-cost labor.
3. It can offer a lot of job opportunities.
Considering that factory farming requires huge operations, there is also a need of a huge number of people to work on it. The industry definitely offers a wide variety of job opportunities, as well as economic stimulation, to regions that are in desperate need of this kind of help.
4. It can provide large amounts of food for society.
This agricultural method creates a farming system that is profit-based and provides human populations with the right amount of calories they need every day to live and survive. Whether it is a certain type of crop or livestock focused by the farm, products would come out of factory farms regularly.
List of Cons of Factory Farming
1. It risks the occurrence of animal cruelty.
Animals can fall victim to the cruel conditions of factory farming. They can be packed into incredibly small areas, which are often indoors, and fed additive ingredients for fattening. They only know such a life until they are slaughtered to be processed, which is quite cruel.
2. It can lead to some health concerns.
The bad conditions the animals live in every day can breed illnesses and diseases within the animals, which could be translated to dangerous and contaminated meat to be consumed by humans.
3. It can hurt the farming community.
Family farms in the US had been nearly wiped out due to factory farming. The latter has the capability to produce goods much more quickly and cheaply than traditional farming, which makes it the obvious choice for large-scale companies and businesses.
4. It can have a negative impact on the environment.
Because of extreme overcrowding, the land that surrounds factory farms could not handle the large amount of waste the animals are producing. This can attribute to air, land and water pollution in the surrounding areas.
Factory farming certainly has its place in the future, but only with proper organization and regulation like other critical issues in this world. Now, considering the pros and cons listed above, do you think factory farming is good for society, or not?