Personal Thoughts: The Horrible Exploitation in Farm Factories

Factory farming has dominated the food industry in the United States and other countries worldwide. Upon industrialization, multi-billion dollar companies found a way to exploit livestock animals and the consumers with factory farming business. Millions of animals are grown in locked up facilities, very tight cages, under unimaginable, torturous and miserable conditions. They are deprived of their natural lifestyle and food. They consume antibiotics so they can grow up to the ideal size for meat consumption. Ever wonder why we get all kinds of diseases, infections and cancer? Have you ever thought about why cancer is now the leading cause of death? Do you know that these antibiotics injected and fed to pigs, cows, chickens and other livestock animals are the same that alter our cells, our growth and development that make us susceptible to cancer, various infections and antibiotic-resistant diseases?

Pregnant pigs are locked up in gestation crates that barely fit their size. Every single day, 24/7, they are confined to these crates standing and laying on their own feces and urine. Piglets go through tail docking, (cutting of their tails) without any pain relief, causing severe pain, distress and infection. 

Cows suffer the same 'protocol.' Cows are locked up in dark facilities, cramped up next to each other, never able to see the light of the day. Their ears are clipped with numbers by hot iron rod, again without any pain relief, that causes burn, infection and severe pain. Calfs are deprived off their mother's milk because we take them away for our consumption. Mothers and babies are violently separated from each other and never see each other again. Cows used for dairy have milking apparatus attached them for hours or on constant basis, as if they're milking machine. They often cause mastitis (breast inflammation and infection) resulting in pain and misery for the cows.

Pigs and cows sent to slaughterhouses are either shot or shocked to be unconscious. Afterwards, their necks are cut off so they can bleed to death. However, many still remain conscious as they are hung upside down, cut from their throat and bled. Many suffer for awhile, seizing and crying out of agony, before they die.

Chickens suffer in the same tight, cramped up living conditions. Their beaks are cut off at early age to prevent so called 'aggression' that is proven to be very painful and distressing. Male chicks are sent to grinder to be ground up alive as soon as they hatch. The misery is so unimaginable in fowl cages to the point it gets difficult to tell which ones are dead and alive. When it's time for slaughter, chickens are shackled (hung upside down), which is very painful and stressful for them and one by one their necks are sent to a grinder. They are also sent to scalding water, while still alive.

These are just the three main livestock animals abused, tortured and exploited for our meat consumption. This is not to mention the goats, lambs, turkeys, ducks and many other farm animals that simply become 'an object' rather than living beings that share the planet with us, that are also created to coexist with us.

Worldwide, approximately 70 billion farm animals are grown for food. There are at least 19,000 farm animals that are killed every minute. How did we get to this? How can we call ourselves humans because of this?

Large farms are replaced by tight cages, confined crates, dirty and bloody floors. Green pastures are nothing more but grinding machinery, knives and blades for slaughter. Animals are not living beings but objects, a means of production. Our desire for their flesh is overshadowed by the fact that they possess incredible intelligence, individual personalities, and desire to live a life free from suffering and pain. Instead of personal names, they are assigned with individual numbers. They are mutilated. Abused. Exploited. Tortured. And killed.

Burned bodies

Most of us grew up with meat consumption. The steaks. The pork chops. The barbecues. The ribs. The fried chickens. The bacon. As we enjoy all these things that are plastered all over the place, all over the markets, have we ever come to think how these foods get into our grocery stores, supermarkets and our plates?

We must realize that farm factories is not far off from sexism, homophobia, human trafficking and racial segregation -- social issues that have plagued the human kind throughout our history. It's a form of oppression. It's a form of human cruelty and exploitation. It's a matter of domination and thirst for power and greed. It's just in a different face. We, as consumers, are buying into this. We grab a piece of fried chicken filled with antibiotics that kill us within, that put toxins in our bodies. We breathe air pollution and live in the age of global warming because of the environmental pollution caused by farm factories. In short, we consume our own destruction and we pay for them with our money. 

The link of farm animal oppression to any social injustice that have troubled our society in the past and today gives me the agony and hope at the same time. Much progress has come for those who were oppressed and treated as less. Women who cannot vote, work or say their voice are now lawmakers, businesswomen, celebrities, millionaires, activists...African-Americans who were treated as slaves and animals because they're black and a lower class of human beings are now lawmakers, business owners, CEOs, celebrities, activists..The homophobic sentiments are now turning to increasing acceptance towards same-sex couples, same-sex marriage. The tightening regulations and prosecutions for human trafficking prove that justice is underway.

These kinds of social progress instill hope in me that we can find a way to speak up for the voiceless farm animals. That we would find the compassion within all of us to stand up for their powerlessness. That we would gain the strength to change our lifestyle so they can have the right to live among us, just as how we want to live in this world. That we would find it in our hearts to treat them as valuable living beings, our companions.

A lot of work needs to be done and it starts by being educated and informed on farm factory atrocities. It's not until we become aware that this horrible system goes on that we can start making responsible decisions and choices on how we could deal with our crooked, flawed and greedy food industry that don't really care for our welfare as much as they care about the money that comes to their bank accounts.


"A better attitude leads to better actions and a better world..."