Have you ever wondered where your meat came from? If it’s even
safe to eat?
Maybe if you found out, your whole view point will change on the
ethics and safety of the meat you consume. This happened to me when I watched
Food Inc. It showed me how the animals are treated by factory farms before
being processed and laid out at the table for supper.
It also showed me how organic farms treat their animals. So what do
factory farms and organic family farms have in common? They both start with
animals and produce meat in the end, but that’s it. Although factory farming may
be a huge business that turns an even greater profit, the ethical means of how
they do this just aren’t there. The dirty conditions, cramped living spaces, and
the brutality of the livestock in these places really open your eyes and make
you think about what you consume. Organic farming, on the other hand, is based
around ethics, which includes safety. I looked into organic meat and found that
they graze there livestock on grass, what cows are supposed to eat, instead of
grain which factory farms feed them. They also let their livestock roam in open
fields. Organic meats just seem more natural than factory farms.
Yet some readers may challenge my view by insisting that factory farms
aren’t unsanitary, hideous factories that breed death and pain, but a pinnacle
business that creates jobs and turns a huge profit. This is true from a business
standpoint; factory farms cut costs, mass produce meat, and sell it cheap making
it more desirable to buyers. But from an ethical and safety approach, we see
that factory farms fall short. You would never subject your pet to live in
cramped spaces with its own feces everywhere, and feed it stuff that it can’t
digest. That’s just cruel and very unsanitary. So why should they treat their
livestock that way? Why not treat these animals with more respect and give them
what they need? Organic farms do treat their livestock with respect, which makes
for a more ethical environment and safer to consume. Organic meat costs more
because of this, but you are paying for safety and a better quality of life for
the animal.
Another argument people make against organic meat is that it has
not been proven it is more nutritional than the meat that comes from factory
farms. While this is true, there are studies to indicate how organic meat is
safer than factory meat. According to Grist.org Factory farms used about 29
million pounds of antibiotics in 2009 while organic farms don’t use antibiotics
on their animals. Organic farms try to produce quality not quantity. Factory
farms just want to make money, when they pump up their animals with all of these
antibiotics; it makes the animal’s muscles grow faster so they can process them
faster.
Another health
safety concern with factory farming is the environment in which the animal lives
in and is slaughtered in. Manure is a big problem for factories because the land
they have the livestock on can’t hold all of it. It builds up and soon the
animals are caked in it. When the animals get slaughtered, the manure taints the
meat making the factories drench the meat in chemicals. We in turn eat that meat
drenched in chemicals that can lead to multiple health problems. The manure
builds up leads to the factories having to ship it out and create trenches of
feces creating unsanitary conditions for people and other wild animals. Organic
farms don’t have this problem. They don’t put more livestock than what the land
can hold. This means that the manure becomes fertilizer for the land and the
farmers don’t have to ship it off somewhere creating unnecessary hazards. I feel
like organic farms are safer not only to the consumer, but to the environment.
Ethical values and safety are important factors in choosing
things in our life, your meat should be given this consideration too. Even
though organic meat may be more
expensive than factory meat, I would buy organic in a heartbeat. Organic farms
meat may not be more nutritional, but it is safer, and that’s all I want in my
meat grinder.
safe to eat?
Maybe if you found out, your whole view point will change on the
ethics and safety of the meat you consume. This happened to me when I watched
Food Inc. It showed me how the animals are treated by factory farms before
being processed and laid out at the table for supper.
It also showed me how organic farms treat their animals. So what do
factory farms and organic family farms have in common? They both start with
animals and produce meat in the end, but that’s it. Although factory farming may
be a huge business that turns an even greater profit, the ethical means of how
they do this just aren’t there. The dirty conditions, cramped living spaces, and
the brutality of the livestock in these places really open your eyes and make
you think about what you consume. Organic farming, on the other hand, is based
around ethics, which includes safety. I looked into organic meat and found that
they graze there livestock on grass, what cows are supposed to eat, instead of
grain which factory farms feed them. They also let their livestock roam in open
fields. Organic meats just seem more natural than factory farms.
Yet some readers may challenge my view by insisting that factory farms
aren’t unsanitary, hideous factories that breed death and pain, but a pinnacle
business that creates jobs and turns a huge profit. This is true from a business
standpoint; factory farms cut costs, mass produce meat, and sell it cheap making
it more desirable to buyers. But from an ethical and safety approach, we see
that factory farms fall short. You would never subject your pet to live in
cramped spaces with its own feces everywhere, and feed it stuff that it can’t
digest. That’s just cruel and very unsanitary. So why should they treat their
livestock that way? Why not treat these animals with more respect and give them
what they need? Organic farms do treat their livestock with respect, which makes
for a more ethical environment and safer to consume. Organic meat costs more
because of this, but you are paying for safety and a better quality of life for
the animal.
Another argument people make against organic meat is that it has
not been proven it is more nutritional than the meat that comes from factory
farms. While this is true, there are studies to indicate how organic meat is
safer than factory meat. According to Grist.org Factory farms used about 29
million pounds of antibiotics in 2009 while organic farms don’t use antibiotics
on their animals. Organic farms try to produce quality not quantity. Factory
farms just want to make money, when they pump up their animals with all of these
antibiotics; it makes the animal’s muscles grow faster so they can process them
faster.
Another health
safety concern with factory farming is the environment in which the animal lives
in and is slaughtered in. Manure is a big problem for factories because the land
they have the livestock on can’t hold all of it. It builds up and soon the
animals are caked in it. When the animals get slaughtered, the manure taints the
meat making the factories drench the meat in chemicals. We in turn eat that meat
drenched in chemicals that can lead to multiple health problems. The manure
builds up leads to the factories having to ship it out and create trenches of
feces creating unsanitary conditions for people and other wild animals. Organic
farms don’t have this problem. They don’t put more livestock than what the land
can hold. This means that the manure becomes fertilizer for the land and the
farmers don’t have to ship it off somewhere creating unnecessary hazards. I feel
like organic farms are safer not only to the consumer, but to the environment.
Ethical values and safety are important factors in choosing
things in our life, your meat should be given this consideration too. Even
though organic meat may be more
expensive than factory meat, I would buy organic in a heartbeat. Organic farms
meat may not be more nutritional, but it is safer, and that’s all I want in my
meat grinder.
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