An eye-opener:
The current industrial farm animal production (IFAP) system often poses unacceptable risks to public health, the environment and the welfare of the animals themselves, according to an extensive 2½-year examination conducted by the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production (PCIFAP), in a study released today.
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Over the past five decades, the number of farms producing animals for food has fallen dramatically, yet the number of food animals produced has remained roughly constant. It is the concentration of farm animals in larger and larger numbers in close proximity to one another, along with the potential of IFAP facilities to affect people, that give rise to many of the public health concerns that are attributed to IFAP. Animals in such close confinement, along with some of the feed and animal management methods employed in the system, increase pathogen risks and magnify opportunities for transmission from animals to humans. This increased risk is due to at least three factors: prolonged worker contact with animals, increased pathogen transmission within a herd or flock, and the increased opportunities for the generation of antimicrobial resistant bacteria (due to imprudent antimicrobial use) or new strains of viruses. Stresses induced by confinement may also increase the likelihood of infection and illness in animal populations.
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According to the EPA, the annual production of manure produced by animal confinement facilities exceeds that produced by humans by at least three times. Unlike most human sewage, the majority of IFAP is spread on the ground untreated. Manure in such large quantities carries excess nutrients and farm chemicals that find their way into waterways, lakes, groundwater, soils and airways. Excess and inappropriate land application of untreated animal waste on cropland contributes to excessive nutrient loading and, ultimately, eutrophication of surface waters. Eutrophication is an excess of nutrients in a body of water, mostly nitrates and phosphates from erosion and runoff of surrounding lands, that causes a dense growth of plant life and the death of aquatic animal life due to lack of oxygen.
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IFAP runoff also carries antibiotics and hormones, pesticides, and heavy metals. Antibiotics are used to prevent and treat bacterial infections and as growth promoters. Pesticides are used to control insect infestations and fungal growth. Heavy metals, especially zinc and copper, are added as micronutrients to the animal diet.
According to a 2006 UN report, globally, greenhouse gas emissions from all livestock operations account for 18% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, exceeding those from the transportation sector. IFAP can produce greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide. Other greenhouse gases, primarily nitrous oxide, arise mainly from the microbial degradation of manure.
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Other reports show that eating factory farm produce also adds to obesity, which in turn adds to the cancer rate.
I picked a tidbit out of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle last night that said if grocery markets and restaurants sourced just 10% of their produce and meat locally (within about 100 miles) the corporate agriculture infrastructure would collapse. I don’t know if there’s science behind the statement, but it sounds good to me.
Just ordered 25 chickens to raise for meat – they arrive mid-June!
I miss keeping chickens, ducks, and geese! What kind of chickens are you raising for meat?
Pilgrim Geese are an interesting addition to the barnyard for eggs, meat, or as pets. I use to keep some of these many years back. They can be sexed by color upon hatching, and they have a VERY docile disposition unlike most other geese. I don’t remember them being loud either.
I want to get some cuckoo maran chickens one day—they’re an interesting old breed from France and supposedly lay the darkest eggs of any breed of chicken.
One of the most interesting bits from above:
whats your problem were supposed to be preventing this whos ordeal but yet your sitting there bragging about raising chickens to eat?!? i mean yeah maybe you wont stomp on them or kick them or throw them or even throw things at them and so on but thats what happens to factory farm animals and it disgusts me that you would post something like that people go vegan because of the cruel and foul things that happen there. so i would like it if you would delete your post…that is just rude and it seems like you were making a mockery of it!! not cool at all!!!
Keeping and raising chickens, ducks, geese, etc., in your backyard is not the same as industrial agriculture. In fact, backyard farms or small farms, which focus on heritage breeds for egg and meat production, help conserve breeds of fowl that have advantages over the breeds that are used in industrial agriculture. Also, smaller local farms help create a local market, which people can access locally (i.e., instead of relying on eggs or meat from industrial agriculture). People can also produce eggs and meat organically and have less of an impact on the environment than industrial agriculture, which pollutes the environment through the release of emissions (or airborne particulates) and water pollutants.
especially when you know that things out in the world are giving people medical problems and even cancer. yeah your not going to go vegan,but its sad what animals have to go through just to end up on someones plate or dead underneath one of their sibilings!!just saying!!!!!!!!!!!