Industrial Agriculture & Sustainability
“Industrial agriculture” and “factory farming” are terms used with increasing frequency, thanks to activists on a rampage to put food production in the worst light possible to further their own agendas. What is a factory farm? How do you define one? And, WHO is responsible for defining that?
Have you really thought about those questions and been on a modern farm enough to answer that with firsthand knowledge? Don’t recite statistics you’ve been handed unless you’ve taken a realistic look at the issue and considered the sustenance needs of a global population – and the economic viability agriculture brings to a local community. Thanks to the dialogue at Farm to Table to point out this need, rather than posturing by a few pundits.
According to Farm Policy Facts, 95% of American farms are still family-owned. Many of those have formed corporations, just the same as small businesses have formed LLCs or S-Corp for legal and tax reasons. Should you really judge a farm because “Corporation” is now a part of the name? It’s still the same people, working hard to do the right thing and provide you with affordable food. These family businesses certainly don’t look like they did in previous generations, but do most homes and businesses look like they did in the 70s? And, have you considered the lessening environmental impact of modern agriculture?
Take a look back and you’ll see cattle wandering through waterways, few conservation practices, pigs wallowing in mud while eating garbage and tractors making multiple trips across smaller fields. EPA’s 2006 report showed only 6 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions came from agriculture (this includes cotton, almonds, wheat, broccoli, soybeans and anything else grown in the ground). According to Consumer Freedom, livestock production accounts for 2.58% of total greenhouse gases. Food production practices have been improved, just as today’s methods will be advanced for the next generation. That’s called progress and frankly, it’s tiring to have it labelled “industrialization.”
Since it’s Earth Day, I could point to the many practices employed by entrepreneurs in agriculture to create a truly sustainable society, one that includes food for people living in poverty beyond your imagination. Shouldn’t true sustainability put food production back in its rightful place of providing for basic human needs? The U.N. has called for 100% increase in world food production to feed an expected population of 9 billion by 2050. I fully believe that we need to leave the world a better place and protect our environment, but also believe in utilizing technology to meet human needs – and not just those closest to the Whole Foods Market.
Agricultural friends, Earth Day is an opportunity to communicate these types of messages in your community – and point to the interests you share with environmentalists such as recyclying, doing more with less, creative use of resources, helping rejuvenate soil through sustainable practices or supporting wildlife habitat. Don’t allow groups with little (if any) firsthand experience with food production define agriculture as a “factory” or “industrial.” Put a face on food production and you might be surprised at the positive response when people learn about your environmental practices!
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[…] What is factory farming? Posted on April 22, 2009 by Zachary Cohen Because Michele Payn-Koper was kind enough to share her thoughts on my blog, and because I think it’s a viewpoint that people in the sustainable world need to think more about and not simply dismiss, here is her blog post from her site Cause Matters. […]
Put a face on food production? Or rather – put a face on “food”. For health & heart… Go Vegan
Hi Bea. “Put a face on food production” is truly what I meant. I strongly believe humans are superior to animals and that farmers deserve a voice BEFORE animals do. We obviously won’t come to an agreement on this, but for the health and heart of agriculture, had to be clear. Thanks for visiting.
Michele
I think the best way for me to reply is to go one by one and answer your questions. I knwo that some of them are rhetorical, but if i feel i can answer them, i think it will move the dialogue forward. And we can possibly get closer to improving things, instead of internecine warfare.
What is a factory farm? to me a factory farm is a farm that employs economies of scale to achieve an end result of producing as many pounds of product as possible. A factory farm to me is one where CAFO’s are the normal practice. How do you define one? See above. And, WHO is responsible for defining that? I think we all have to come up with our own definitions. Would we really want the government to define it for us? or the UN? i don’t think so. I wouldn’t want that, and I doubt very much that you would. How would YOU define a factory farm? Do they exist to you? If so, what are they..if not why not?
Have you really thought about those questions and been on a modern farm enough to answer that with firsthand knowledge?
I have been on both industrial farms as well as local sustainable ones. What farms do you have in mind that you believe would challenge my notions? I would love to talk with them and interview them for my blog as a way to clear the air. As i have said before, i am not interested in demonizing anyone, just in finding solutions.
Should you really judge a farm because “Corporation” is now a part of the name? Absolutely not. Just because a farm, family-owned or not, has decided to incorporate does not mean that i should prejudge them. I will judge them by their responsibility as a corporation to pay their taxes, not pollute the environment that we all share, and clean up after themselves if they do. I expect the same of any person i meet. Corporations are no different but no i will not prejudge them. These family businesses certainly don’t look like they did in previous generations, but do most homes and businesses look like they did in the 70s?
No homes and businesses do not look like they did 40 years ago, but i fail to see how this is relevant. Where did the 1970’s come up in this discussion?
And, have you considered the lessening environmental impact of modern agriculture?
I absolutely have considered that modern agriculture less impactful and more productive. But that misses the point to my mind…the volume has increased so dramatically that the efficiency improvements are basically meaningless.
Shouldn’t true sustainability put food production back in its rightful place of providing for basic human needs? no, that is not the definition of sustainability. Sustainability, as defined by the Bruntland Commision, is as follows: “[to meet] the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” That can certainly NOT be said to be true of our agriculture and food production practices today. 2500 gallons of water to produce a single pound of beef is the exact opposite of sustainable. I am not vegan or vegetarian. I eat meat, and i love it. I salivate over steaks and chops. But something is wrong, and this kind of farming, however you define it, is one of the major causes and it needs to be refined. It is the free market gone wild, and those excesses must be trimmed. I would prefer the companies involved to do it themselves, but if they decide its too costly, then society will do it for them at some point.
I would like to reply to Zach. Zach I think you may have missed the point when you talk about the objective of farming and the volume created by so called factory farms. First I have been farming my whole life and the obective of my farms has always been to produce more meat on less inputs! How can that be bad? Farming is not a hobby. We farmers love what we do but we do it so we can make a living for our families, so to be sustainable we have to do more with less. I am truely proud of the accmomplishments of modern ag over the past 50 years. It continues to astonish me that in every other aspect of our society that we view progress as good except in agriculture! My animals have it much better today than they did 30 years ago and they are much healthier and better cared for, and I do a much better job environmentally than ever before but I am being demonized as factory farm, go figure? Another point you make is about volume, I am a pork producer so I will limit my thoughts to that, do you realize that we produce no more pork than we ever have? We just do it in a much less intrusive way and with less inputs. It blows my mind that you think otherwise. So if you look at the facts the swine farms of today produce pork so much more efficently than 30 years ago! It is misinformation about these sorts of issues that continue to confuse and mislead people. I agree with Michele that people should not just visit but work in our shoes. I have raised animals out on pasture and indoors and I will never go back to the past, my animals are much healthier and happy indoors! How do I know that? They tell me that through their productivity. I have been doing this a long time and I have never had one talk to me so I use my common sense and let them tell me by the way my great grandfather, grand father, and father taught me, by how well they produce for me. I hope can understand that.
Mr Ruth,
Thanks so much for your thoughtful reply to my comment. I would like to say first off, that nowhere have I ever said, nor woudl i ever say, that technological progress is good everywhere except in agriculture. I think there are many areas where progress has been ultimately harmful. I also do not detect that feeling in the wider society, but if thats the way you feel as a farmer, it is legitimate and we should talk more about that. I think its quite poetic the way you describe how your animals talk to you through their productivity. It’s really a lovely thought. I personally do not believe that productivity is a measure of an animals happiness. I believe that animals raised on pasture, animals like cattle, pigs, chickens, sheep, etc, get to live more naturally, and therefore, express their authenticity. I also believe that pasture raising animals is better for the farm, surrounding areas, the community, and eventually the people who consume that meat. I love meat, eat it all the time. And for the past few months have only been eating pasture raised animals, when i can. To me they taste much better, and I cam ne sure that those animals were treated exceptionally well. That is not to say that your animals, or any other farmers practices, mistreats them. It’s not what I am arguing. I am simply arguing that for me, raising pigs indoors is not natural nor sustainable, which is the focus of my work and television show. Despite the achievements of modern ag, significant achievements by all means, I do not believe it is a sustainable healthy way to continue along. I agree with you that swine farms of today are more efficient than swine farms of 30 years ago…but it does not logically follow that because they are more efficient today, they are A OK. I see this argument all the time, but its not an argument, its a non-sequitur. Your shifting the argument from sustainable to “we’re more efficient.” But look, i respect what you do, and wish the best for you and your family. I think all American farmers should be applauded for thir hard work and sacrifice! Thanks so much. Look forward to hearing from you soon
I can see that we have a difference of opinion and that is fine, however I think that your definition of happiness comes more from your idea of what could or should make you happy, not necassarily what is best for an animal. I can tell you one thing in the middle of the winter whent the wind chill is below zero or in the middle of the summer when the heat index is over 100 that my animals are much “happier” to be in an air cooled building than in your Norman Rockwell painting. Come step into my world.
Mr Ruth, It’s obvious that there is some distance in between our feelings on the matter. Those two instances that you pointed are definitely very potent ones about when shelter is best for the animal. what about the rest of the time? Are they just as happy when the weather is not as extreme being indoors? If you say yes, then so be it, but i doubt it personally. Also, can you tell me how much you spend on antibiotics or hormones for your animals, per year? How much does their feed cost? What about Vet bills? What do you do with the animals manure? where does it go? Do you have to pay to have it removed?Also do you receive any federal, state or local subsidies? What about tax credits?
All of these things feed into what makes a truly sustainable farm…Again, i appreciate the dialogue and am only in this to learn more.
zach
I am really glad you asked those questions because on every account I can tell you I use less medicine, no hormones, my animals are healthier, use considerable less feed at a lower cost than ever before. Vet bills follow the medicine bills. The manure is used to fertilze crop fields that make crops that I feed back to my animals. I have never taken a subsidy in my life (for your education there are no government subsidies given to hog farms anyway). Also no tax credits (except for some construction investment tax credits that I had for building some buildings in the 80’s). And one last thing, my animals have complete temperature control 365 days out of the year, three square meals a day, and constant attention given to them. This is probably something that can’t be said for quite few of our human population here in the US. So maybe it is time we quit trying to think about how our animals are feeling and let professional farmers take care of them and tend to our human population and make sure we give them the care our Creator intended.
Mr Ruth,
That is fantastic, and I can tell that you are really proud of the good work and progress you have made on your farm. Where can i get some of your pigs? I would love to try some!
Zach
Zack
Don’t know where you live but you can buy them from Hatfield Quality Meats which is a family held company since 1895 located in Pennsylvania. Products are mainly sold on East Coast. Try some you will love it!