Essay About Factory Farming

The Truth about Factory Farming Modern day factory farming practices have evolved over many years and can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution (Driscoll and Morley). For several years factory farms have allowed us to mass produce crops, meats, and other animal products. This helps to make foods more available and affordable for customers (Wright and Konzcal). However these farms haven’t gone unnoticed; in fact, they have raised numerous questions and have caused a great deal of controversy. People have long questioned factory farming practices and techniques. The controversial topic of factory farming has become a widely spread issue that has both passionate supporters and angered adversaries. Both sides have strong opinions about factory farms and their effects on us. Are factory farms negatively affecting the health and well-being of Americans? One of the main controversies of factory farming is the use of antibiotics. The Agribusiness Accountability Initiative shows that “70% of antibiotics used in the United States are fed to animals who are not sick” ("Environmental and Health Problems in Livestock Production” 5). Experts believe that animals are contracting diseases that are antibiotic-resistant due to the overuse of antibiotics. They add that the consumption of these animals and crops can cause diseases in …show more content…
Many opposers of factory farms claim that there has been an increase in pesticide use and that eating pesticides that are used on crops can pose unknown health risks (Lee and Warhol). Yet, genetic engineering is used to help keep crops disease resistant. Farmers argue that genetic engineering has revolutionized the agriculture industry, and insists “biotechnology is expected to help improve agriculture by improving the quality, nutrition, safety, quantity, and the processing of raw crops” (Wright and