Food Animal Production

Food Animal Production

Food Systems and Politics

Industrial food animal production (IFAP) is no longer sustainable or good for the environment, agriculture or human safety. The movie suggests that in order to attain a sustainable food animal production process, society must come up with one that is both ecological and preserves and does not limit biodiversity. A dream process would be that all farms move to pasture base production instead of factory base. Although many would call switching non-realistic, this common misconception is famous because industrial food animal production has been perceived as more productive and an easier way to raise animals in a shorter amount of time. The movie provided an inspirational example about one man who did make the shift over to the good side when he switched from factory base to pasture base production. He remarked that not only did pasture base farming hardly require more work than his pervious system, factory base, but that he also felt satisfied that he was doing something good for the environment, agriculture business and human safety (all the things that industrial production cannot supply). People are caught in this rhythm of the factory in the new industrial system and they don’t know how to get out because it is hard, but this switch helped prove the stereotype wrong, which will hopefully persuade others to follow in his footsteps. Essentially, the movie implies that we should go back in time to the 1700s where the industrial period in America had not taken place and farming and food animal production was carried out without all the modern technological agricultural items available. One of the risks of this factory-based system is that it is being spread to other countries around the world and being adopted as the primary process. This is why it is so important to stop it now. It is important not to contribute to the harmful animal production practices, which can be ensured by not supporting them as consumers. We should not buy from any farms that are not pasture base and use our power to support a process in which is safe for human health, agriculture and the environment.

Jenna M