Why do factory farms exist in America?

Question

I can understand why they might exist in some place like China, but how can that kind of extreme animal cruelty be going on in the U.S.?

If you're not sure what I'm talking about, watch this Earthlings video:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1282796533661048967

It has factory farms in it.

Answer 1

Because there is an increasing demand for meat and animal products. The advertising industry continues to churn out pro-meat and take away adverts throughout the media. Producers want to cut costs by decreasing space, resources used and reducing production time. All this cruelty is inflicted in the name of reducing costs and increasing profit. Sadly it's the animals who bare the cost of pain and suffering. To meet demand for reduced prices and increasing consumer demand the agricultural industry is forced to intensify production in order to maintain competition with intensive competitors. These factory farming practices are common throughout the world and not limited to the US.

::ADD:: The legality of such practices is irrelavent. Just because it's *legal* it doesn't mean it's right. The law is dynamic and continuously adapting to meet changing societal sentiment. There is a great deal of change and legal reform dedicated to Animal Law. Granted there are laws in place to regulate the agriculture industry, these laws are often severly lacking, increadibly vauge, or provide excessive descretion to legal authority.

For example it is legal to confine chickens to barren wire cages with up to 7 other birds, it is legal to debeak them, force moult them, and kill all males in hatcheries. That does not mean its *right* though. Eventually the law *will* one day catch up to shifting societal and moral changes, as it did regarding slavery, racism and sexual harrassment.

Answer 2

G R E E D, consumers who demand low prices, apathy...

Answer 3

Because they are legal and it's the only economical way to get the food produced.

Answer 4

because not all people eat vegies, alot of people eat meat, and because its legal

you know its kinda like oil, We ship oil from Alaska and ship it over to japan instead of shiping it down south. So that way the we can bring oil over from the middle east and pay who nows hhow much more.

Answer 5

Because the economy trumps animal rights every time.

Answer 6

Because Americans want to feel like they are wealthy and meat was once something only the wealthy could have every day, every meal.  Americans mostly don't care how much cruelty is involved in their products (immigrant labor, sweatshops, factory farms) as long as they get what they want and get it cheap.

Answer 7

First, your initial statement, " they might exist in some place like China.." is culturally bigoted because you imply that the Chinese people and culture are somehow less civilized. Please do not make such assumptions.

The truth is the practice of factory farming is actually more prevalent in Western countries like the US than in any other place in the world. If you visit other countries, the image of a farm or ranch where you have thousands and thousands of animals in a single area controlled by a single business is virtually non-existent. Most farms, particularly in Asia and Africa are run by small scale farmers.

In the West, farming, including crop farming is mostly an economic activity where efficiency and high production rates are given top priority. There are actually rules and laws in place (believe it or not) designed to limit cruelty during "food processing" but with the scale involved, abuses do tend to occur. With ever increasing demand for food, the burden is to speed up the process rather than ensure humane practices.