Why factory farms must go

I have a video to share with you, but I want to warn you that it is very graphic and disturbing. While extremely difficult to watch, the video nonetheless tells a truth about our society that we should all confront. In their insistence on profit as the sole motive and driver behind their business, factory farms (CAFOs) have turned a blind eye to basic animal dignity and welfare, and behavior like the following becomes all too common.



The video makes me outraged. What kind of a society have we become, that we can allow such practices to take place? This incident is not isolated; a search on YouTube reveals other videos of downer cows being abused. In some ways I'm not surprised; these videos are consistent with the findings in Fast Food Nation and The Omnivore's Dilemma. A factory farm is, by nature, driven to produce the most meat possible at the lowest cost possible. Cows can't be treated humanely, because that would make for less productivity and higher expenses. Sadly, we are as guilty as the CAFOs. Every time we eat a fast-food hamburger, or every time we buy regular beef from our local grocery store, we tacitly endorse the practices of factory farms.

I don't think you need to go vegetarian (necessarily) to ensure ethical treatment of animals- although many a vegetarian would disagree with me on that point. Rather, I think it is important that we care enough to read labels, ask for information, and learn as much as possible about how the animals lived and died prior to becoming our food. Then we can make responsible decisions about the foods we eat, and we can opt to vote with our forks to end inhumane or cruel treatment of animals.

Learn more at the Humane Society website.