The Advantages of Organic Farming over Conventional Farming

There are many benefits of organic farming over contemporary farming. These things can benefit not only the consumer, but help stop the inhumane slaughter millions of animals around the United States. Agriculture has changed dramatically in the past 20 years because of the rise of multinational corporations. There are many reasons why this organic agriculture is safer and healthier than contemporary agriculture, such as the absence of antibiotics, growth hormones, and allowing the animals to graze and not be treated badly.
The first premise that I will present to the class is that Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, also called CAFO’s are inhumane and present a danger to the farmers and people that live around them. Not only are they bad for their neighbors, they also represent how the small farmer that owns the lot is practically owned by the corporation. These farmers take out thousands dollar loans to try to pay for their CAFO facilities. This represents a danger to the small time farmer because if they do something that the company does not approve, what happens is that these companies could stop buying their animals, resulting in foreclosures of the farm. People that live around these areas are also affected because of the pollution CAFO’s cause in their communities. An example of this would be a CAFO in kentucky which was fined because it had released 10 tons of ammonia into the air. People living near CAFO’s represent a higher chance of having respiratory illnesses, for example children who live near CAFO’s have a 19% higher chance of developing asthma. Animals who are kept in CAFO’s are subject to extreme brutality. Antibiotics dropped by the animal's feces can also contaminate groundwater that nearby people depend on to live.
One of the more troublesome aspects of CAFO’s are their treatment of animals. Veal are put into crates that do not allow them to move for their entire existence, which is around 13-18 months. Chicken are genetically modified for growth, so much that after they are fully matured and ready for slaughter, their legs and organs cannot support the immense stress caused by the rapid development of their bodys. Although the quantity of animals produced at CAFO’s are larger, the quality is not on par with those of Organic ranches and farms. It is known that food that come from organic farms have much more nutrients in them, and that their animals live a more peaceful and respected lifestyle.
Most of the workers in CAFO’s are also mistreated. These employees are subject to harsh treatment by their supervisors. There are many problems that come with this because injuries could happen in the workplace and most won't get reported due to fear of being deported. Many of the workers in this industry do the same repetitive job over and over, sometimes developing carpal tunnel syndrome in their hands. These workers are often fired for being unable to work. The dangerous landscape of the meat packing industry could lead to many diseases spreading. We can compare this to America 30 to 40 years ago where the meat packing industry was one of the most prestigious jobs in America, on par with the auto industry. Today it is very difficult to find strong unions and benefits while working at a meat processing plant. The Food and Drug administration is also cutting costs by doing less inspections, and many of the executives of the FDA were lobbyists or executives of the major food corporations before being in FDA. This can be seen as a conflict of interest. This is the complete opposite of Organic and small family owned farms due to various reasons. Most organic farms hire people from around the community, or children of the family that owns the farm. While most of the jobs don’t come with benefits or high pay, these jobs connect a community together.
Not only is Organic farming good for the environment, but it can also be very profitable. The Organic food industry is expected to grow over 14% from 2013-2018. This growth is sponsored by many large food corporations such as Target, Walmart, Costco, and fast food organizations. There are also many supermarkets dedicated to organic food and support the rights to animals like Whole Foods. Many experts believe that organic food is 22% to 35% more profitable. This growth is mostly located on the West Coast.
While knowing that going organic can be quite expensive, with government subsidies going to organic farmers instead of multinational corporations, we can cut the cost of organic food to be competitive with the market. Where most people could also complain that organic food doesn't last as long, we can look at european societies for answers. Here the average family makes many more trips to the grocery store on average, and buy food for only 3 or 4 days. The fact is that organic farms are safer for the environment, the animals, the community, and our overall health and quality of meats and grains.