June 14th: CAFOs

 

June 14th: No more CAFOs

June 14, 2024

 Today, the STEM Skills in Society class discussed the ethicality of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) after the previous discussion on animal rights and ethical treatment. Concerns about CAFOs have grown in number as a result of ethical, social, health, and environmental issues. Weighing their benefits and risks to society requires holistic reviews in every field and careful consideration of the matter. 




My group was assigned to argue against the use of CAFOs. CAFOs are very controversial, and the reasons against their prevalent use demonstrate why. CAFOS, very easily, generate vast amounts of pollution and waste concentrated in a small area, leading to high risks of large environmental impact compared to smaller traditional farms. Additionally, this compact, factory-like state emits large quantities of greenhouse gases which may result in harmful effects on air quality.


From a more nuanced perspective, CAFOs are extremely unethical in terms of animal rights and overall management. Whether animals should have rights and should be treated as equals to human beings is also a discussion, but that discussion greatly affects the current discussion on CAFOs. CAFO management can also create high risks of health concerns for animals and people. A sick animal can easily create a sick farm which eventually could harm large populations of animals and humans. The compact management of CAFO areas is extremely disastrous for the land, animals in and around them, and possibly humans as well. 


On the other hand, individuals who argue for the efficiency and benefits of CAFOs completely disregard the points mentioned previously. The Malthusian catastrophe and other hunger issues have not been solved and will not be solved by the creation of CAFOs. The effect of CAFOs has created a newer section of lower-quality meats at prices that are more prone to hurt individuals. With their increasing prevalence in the present economy, this discussion will continue.


For more information about CAFOs, check out these links:

https://www.tn.gov/agriculture/farms/conservation/cafo.html

https://www.epa.gov/npdes/animal-feeding-operations-afos

https://www.sierraclub.org/michigan/why-are-cafos-bad


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