Factory farming refers to large-scale, industrialized, intensive rearing of livestock, poultry and fish. The practice is widespread in developed nations - most of the meat, dairy and eggs available in supermarkets is raised in this manner.
The term factory farming is favored by environmental activists and organic consumer groups, and usually has a negative connotation. It describes extreme forms of intensive animal agriculture for which there is no other common label.
Operations typically called factory farms focus on producing a marketable product at the lowest unit cost. Common factory farming practices include:
- confinement - To save space, animals are permanently confined to small indoor areas, often unable to turn around or move without contacting other animals. This often causes "vices" (unnatural behaviour caused by mental stress) such as cannibalism, and these may be countered through procedures like debeaking and tail-docking.
- drug programs - Antibiotics, vitamins, hormones, and other supplements are administered regularly, in part to counteract the effects of crowding.
- alternative feed - Various materials that contain essential nutrients are substituted for traditional feed (eg: cows are fed poultry litter in place of hay and grain; calves are given cow blood protein concentrate in place of mother's milk).
- extreme nutrient management - The large quantities of generated manure and urine are automatically collected in local sewage systems and redistributed to local agricultural lands as fertilizer.
Critics claim that factory farming is inhumane, poses health risks, and causes environmental damage. Arguments include:
- Animals raised on antibiotics are breeding superstrains of various diseases.
- Concentrated animal waste is polluting the groundwater.
- Crowding, drugging, and mutilating animals (often, debeaking and tail-docking, performed without anesthetic) are criminally cruel practices.
Proponents claim that factory farming is a useful agricultural advance:
- Intensive agriculture is necessary to meet demand for affordable food.
- Properly run factory farms meet government standards for safe and humane food production.
See also: agribusiness, organic farming
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