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4 Ky. J. Equine Agric. & Nat. Resources L. 31 (2011-2012)
Cheap Meat: How Factory Farming Is Harming our Health, the Environment, and the Economy

handle is hein.journals/kjequinan4 and id is 33 raw text is: CHEAP MEAT: How FACTORY FARMING IS HARMING OUR HEALTH, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND THE EcONOMY R. JASON RICHARDS AND ERICA L. RICHARDS I. INTRODUCTION The nature of food consumption in this country has drastically changed over time. We once relied on hunting skills and a little luck to eat meat. This progressed to a stage where families raised their own animals for food and grew their own crops to feed them. Today, it is much more common to simply stop by the grocery store, order out, or go to a drive- thru. Modem conveniences have not only impacted what we eat, but have drastically increased how much meat we consume. Americans now consume approximately 200 pounds of meat, fish, and poultry per year, an increase of 50 pounds per person from 50 years ago.' At the same time, few consumers know or understand the origin of their meat, how it is processed, or how it is transported to their local grocery store or restaurant. Even fewer people understand the broad, negative effects of mass-produced meat. This article's purpose is to shed light on some of these issues. Section II of this article provides a brief background on factory farming. Section III discusses the negative economic impact of mass meat production and Section IV discusses the environmental consequences of factory farming operations. Section V evaluates the many known and potential health consequences of factory farming and Section VI briefly discusses the ethical issues of factory farming. Finally, Section VII offers recommendations for lessening reliance on factory farmed meat. II. BACKGROUND OF FACTORY FARMING In the past 50 years, farming operations in the United States have gone from individualized production to mass production, commonly known as factory farming.2 The impact of factory farming has been profound. For instance, many consumers might be surprised to learn that approximately * R. Jason Richards, B.A., University of Alabama at Birmingham; M.A., University of Colorado; J.D., John Marshall Law School; LL.M. (Health Law), DePaul University College of Law. ** Erica L. Richards, B.S., cum laude, University of Florida. Mark Bittman, Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler, N.Y. TIMES (Jan. 27, 2008) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/weekinreview/27bittman.html. 2 David Kirby, Animal Factory: The Looming Threat of Industrial Pig, Dairy, and Poultry Farms to Humans and the Environment xiv (St. Martin's Press, 2010).

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