Factory Farming is to blame for the Swine Flu Virus

Whether you are a vegetarian or a ‘meat and potatoes’ type person, the recent outbreak of the Swine Flu virus should bring to the forefront the debate over the risks versus benefits of factory farming. Yet the mainstream media is silent on this issue, failing to raise the question of the conditions that fostered the disease and allowed this outbreak to occur. This is not the first outbreak and unfortunately it will not be the last. While I am not so idealistic to believe that we can rid the world of factory farming techniques and turn everyone vegetarian, I do believe I can educate myself and others on the issues of factory farming and perhaps together we can foster small changes that impact the world we live in.

A factory farm is a farm that operates as a factory, raising farm animals in confinement at high stocking density. Besides the fact that these animals have to live in atrocious conditions, there are many health and environmental risks associated with factory farming. While there are a number of websites that provide a detailed look at factory farming conditions, here is a brief overview of the environmental and health issues associated with factory farming.

Health Concerns:
In order to maximize production, the meat, poultry, dairy and egg industries use drugs, hormones, and other chemicals. Because of this, virulent pathogens (bacteria and viruses) become resistant to antibiotics. “Super germs” as they are known, have the potential to cause human death and suffering not measureable in today’s world.

The Swine Flu virus is just one example of a new disease that has been augmented by our farming practices. “Mad Cow” disease is another one that when spread throughout Great Britain and caused a fatal dementia in both cows and humans. “Bird-flu” has also resulted in the deaths of a large number of people. A great short article on swine flu and other diseases is “Humans are responsible for Swine Flu”

Thousands of people die every year from contaminated animal food products. Despite warnings from animal groups and consumers, the USDA’s protocol remains inadequate. To combat the threat of diseases that come from animal products, we are advised to overcook our food and make sure we keep uncooked meat and poultry below a certain temperature. These guidelines are not enough anymore.

Environmental Impact:
Factory Farming depletes valuable natural resources. The majority of grain harvested in the U.S. is fed to farm animals. The result is exploitation of large amounts of forests, wetlands and other natural ecosystems. Resources, such as fossil fuels, groundwater and topsoil, are disappearing or becoming too contaminated to use. The waste produced by farm animals is more than 130 times greater than that produced by humans. The waste contaminates rivers and streams and causes a number of health related issues for humans.

While this is just a brief overview of the issues surrounding factory farming, a great resource for more information about factory farming is the non-profit organization: Farm Sanctuary. Again I am not calling for the end of raising animals for food. However, the truth is, the fewer pigs, chickens and cows we raise for food the fewer animal-borne diseases there will be. For information on recent legislation and what you can do visit farmsanctuary.com