The Government and Factory Farming

How the Government is Partially Responsible for Global Warming

The animal agriculture industry is one of the leading causes of global warming in our society today. Every single day we are prone to consuming animal products due to their prevalence, which is the outcome of government subsidies. Factory Farming is promoted and subsidized by the government, even though it is known to be a leading factor in climate change. Across the United States, factory farms are promoted in grocery stores, public schools, and even in local government. Factory farmers and our government are co-contributors to global warming and climate change because of their collaboration, manipulation, and their tendencies to circumvent problems that they cause.

Within the past century, global warming and climate change have drastically escalated in areas all around the world. Although it is more noticeable in urban areas, climate change has left detrimental impacts on Earth. Despite being one of the most discussed topics and pressing situations that we as humans face on a daily basis, it is still constantly being fueled. Fueled by what? Quite simply, government intervention, or lack thereof. For instance, the subsidies given to factory farmers in the United States from the government. The overproduction of cow products accounts for “14.5%” of global warming. From dairy to steak, cows are one of the primary factors for the increase in greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere. With the increase of greenhouse gases comes rising sea levels, rising of the average temperatures, more natural disasters, and many other short-term and long-term effects. It is in our own best interests to become completely invested in slowing the effects of global warming and climate change. For many that includes being a vegan or a vegetarian, not supporting fast fashion, or driving an electric car, but what we should all be concerned about is our government’s involvement and collaboration with oligopolistic companies that are responsible for the industrialization of animal agriculture. “According to recent studies, the U.S. government spends up to $38 billion each year to subsidize the meat and dairy industries, with less than one percent of that sum allocated to aiding the production of fruits and vegetables.” The United States government is a primary stakeholder in the dairy and meat industry. Hence the government should be concerned about the effects that their industries have on the health of their citizens.

The United States has about 331,000,000 citizens and of that number about 85 million consume fast food, the product of factory farming. From McChickens to Whoppers to Tyson’s Dino Chicken Nuggets, factory farming is extremely prevalent in the lives of United States citizens. Although a large stakeholder, the citizens of the United States are primary stakeholders of the animal agriculture industry and the government’s involvement with it. “American men on average eat 4.8 ounces of meat per day and women eat 3.13 ounces of meat per day.” That is meat alone. When animals are mass-produced and sold for cheap, we are being fed the lowest grade of produce which impacts our gut health. It is a lose-lose for everyone; except the ones that profit from our suffering. Although being a vegetarian is difficult for some people, whether it be because of income or love of meat, it can drastically improve most people’s health by lowering cholesterol, consumption of high-fructose corn syrup, and caloric intake. However, that is extremely difficult due to the government’s involvement with the animal agriculture industry once again.

According to United States Education data, the average family must make around $213,000 a year in order to attend private school. The United States has a median household income of $68,000 a year. More likely than not, lower-income families will attend public schools in their communities. With public schooling comes government intervention, specifically dairy campaigns. Humans are the only animal that consumes other animal milk after infancy, and the United States government felt the need to profit from that. “Dairy “products” are loaded with artery-clogging cholesterol and saturated fat… Cow’s milk is the number one cause of food allergies among infants and children.” Dairy is advertised by the public schools as one of the five main food groups, yet many of the children they teach this to cannot consume it. Attending public school means that you are not only bred to consume animal products but more often than not required to. Without the ability to pack your own lunch, the only thing available is cafeteria food and a meal is a meal. By funneling low-quality meat and dairy to millions of children, the animal agriculture industry is able to stay afloat. With the help of the government and the public school system, children grow up consuming animal products that are not at all good for them. Furthermore, lower-income families but specifically children are major stakeholders in the issue of factory farming and the animal agriculture industry.

Lastly, the farmers themselves. Although they are being paid by the companies, it is not enough to live sustainably. The average income for farmers is below $10, how is someone supposed to feed hundreds of animals and themselves on such a low income? The government and the large companies they fund do not care enough about their workers, which is why the workers do not care enough about their animals or the land around them. Animals on factory farms are practically living in their own feces. “Farm animals require water for hydration. But an increasing amount is needed… to clean enclosures (e.g. cages, stalls, pens) and sheds, to dispose of waste, and for cooling animals. Processing animal products also require large volumes of water and can result in significant amounts of wastewater.” The wastewater then leads to runoff into non-meat farms and can contaminate other sources of food. Overall, if the government and big companies cared enough about their workers, then perhaps the animals would not be living in such poor conditions, the quality of the product would not be so unhealthy, and our world would not be suffering at the hands of humans.

Growth of Fast Food Industries: Video

Although a lot of solutions to the industrialization of animal agriculture are easier said than done, many solutions can take place in your own life. Becoming a vegetarian or a vegan, or even limiting the amount of fast food you eat can have an impact on your life and the life of our Earth. However, when fast food is your only source of food it becomes extremely difficult to not consume the products of factory farming. Income is often tied to obesity, and fast food consumption, hence tying back to the relationship between poverty and the animal agriculture industry. That being said, another solution is to ask that our government reallocate meat and dairy subsidies. “According to recent studies, the U.S. government spends up to $38 billion each year to subsidize the meat and dairy industries, with less than one percent of that sum allocated to aiding the production of fruits and vegetables” These subsidies could go to food programs that support poor communities, or to subsidizing food choices that are not direct products of factory farming. “By investing in the production of whole plant-based foods instead, we can begin to heal the negative health impacts experienced by vulnerable low-income groups, while encouraging shifts toward diets that are more environmentally sustainable.” Finally, supporting local businesses is a vital solution to our detrimental problem. By supporting local businesses and small farms, we can attempt to breakdown the oligopoly of animal agriculture businesses and support locally-based products, farmers, and animals.

As a citizen of the United States, a life-long public school student, taxpayer, vegetarian, animal rights activist, and volunteer in many lower-income communities, I consider factory farming to be one of the major issues in our country today. Apart from the government’s complete disregard for our health, they put millions of animals’ lives on the backburner. By manipulating the system so that poor communities are subject to consume these animal products, they are setting them up for bad health effects, higher medical bills, and lower chances to escape poverty. In addition, our tax dollars should not be going towards subsidies that rarely benefit us. It is overall, infuriating, terrifying, and harmful for citizens, animals, and our planet.