Farm Animal Industry Must Change

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Farm Animal Industry Must Change, Says Pew Commission
WASHINGTON, DC, April 29, 2008 (ENS) - Animal agriculture has experienced "warp speed" growth over the last 50 years, due to cheap feed, water and energy. This has enabled Americans to eat more meat per person than any other society on the planet, but the industry will have to change as these resources become less available in the future, finds a report released today by The Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production.

Beginning in 2006, 15 commissioners, each with expertise in public policy, veterinary medicine, public health, agriculture, animal welfare, or rural society, undertook an exhaustive examination on the impacts to humans, animals and the environment of intensive food animal production.

Among the numerous recommendations in its report, "Putting Meat on the Table: Industrial Farm Animal Production in America," the Commission advocates a new system to deal with farm waste "that will replace the inflexible and broken system that exists today" and protect Americans from the adverse environmental and human health hazards of improperly handled waste.


Dairy cows in an industrial farming operation in Iowa (Photo courtesy Iowa State University Extension)
Congress and the federal government should work together to formulate laws and regulations outlining baseline waste handling standards for Industrial Farm Animal Production, IFAP, facilities, the Commission recommends. States could choose to implement more stringent regulations if they considered them necessary.

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/apr2008/2008-04-29-01.asp

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1. Comment:--

This is an issue for the planet, for personal health, for society's health --

But, don't overlook that it's also a spiritual issue --- a universal spiritual issue.

[Lost4words]

2. Family Farms produced a Superior product in all ways.

and the earth could handel the waste.

I love PEOPLE

I despise corporations!

8643

[defendandprotect]

5. Obviously . . .

there's no killing, no bloodshed, no violence involved in the world you're describing?

No exploitation of animals?

And . . . it doesn't look like the planet can handle the waste ---

it's pollution.

[uppityperson]

9. Earth could handle waste from small family farms much better than big corporation farms.

It was much nicer, is much nicer, when and where smaller family farms provided food for families, rather than giant corporate farms. More and more people will be having backyard gardens and chickens, which will help decrease the amount of runoff from huge corporate farms. People will be changing their diets to have meet as a condiment, not as a main course, which will be healthier for all.

[Bigmack]

3. I'm not a spiritual person...

.. so I'll leave that out of the equation, but we have got to stop raising our food - animal and vegetable - as if those products don't effect our health and well-being.

How much more per pound would it cost to raise our meat without hormones and chemicals? How much more would it cost to slaughter them in a way that was safe for us and humane for the animals? If we can't afford that additional cost, maybe we just shouldn't eat so much meat.

When I had a "gentleman's farm", I raised chickens, turkeys, pigs, and cattle for my own use and to sell. They would all qualify as Free Range, and mostly organic. (hard to find feed that's raised organic) They all lived lives that people in most of the world would envy. They all had only one really bad instant in their whole lives.

I don't expect large farmers to be able to duplicate that... and certainly not duplicate the taste of that meat... but I would expect that they could still make a buck if they allowed animals a little more space, a little more time wandering around outside, and a more humane death.

Of course, that's the problem, isn't it? Making a buck isn't good enough. Gotta make $1.01.. or $1.02. Who cares what happens as long as the margin of profit goes up.

I simply cannot eat mass-produced pork anymore. I cannot take part in cruelty at that level. Pigs are waaay too smart, and I think they have a higher level of awareness of self than other farm animals, so confinement and cruelty must hurt them even more than the others.

Most people in this country wouldn't eat meat anymore - at all - if they saw how it was grown and processed.

[defendandprotect]

6. Your comment that "pigs are smart" is very telling . . .

and I don't think that most of us understand enough about animals and their individual personalities ---

It's a taboo subject ---

We have the concept of "talking to the animals" seemingly because there was such a time ---

Animals are our sisters and brothers on the planet.

[flvegan]

4. The report also slammed intensive confinement.

Gestation crates (pigs), veal crates (cows) and battery cages (egg laying hens) were recommended to be phased out.

[defendandprotect]

7. Haven't most of us figured out on our own what this report is saying . . . ???

I think most people understand that what they're eating isn't nourishing their body ---

but is, rather, destroying it ---

Go veggie, folks!!

[defendandprotect]

8. Push --- worthwhile thinking about !

[defendandprotect]

10. We share this earth with these creatures . . . do they deserve respect?