Do Family Farming May Produce Less Environmental Degradation

Have you ever asked yourself "why is sustainable agriculture is so much improve than industrial agriculture?" The tabular array below should give y'all a quick and easy comparing of the two types of production methods and the benefit of sustainable meat production should be articulate.

Family unit Subcontract	Industrial operation
Health Issues:
foods are produced without the employ of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and other hazardous inputs	overuse of antibiotics lead to antibody resistance odours can cause nausea, headaches, and respiratory bug especially to barn workersi leaner and parasites from fauna waste which are chlorine resistant and may crusade human disease2
Antibody (antimicrobial) Issues:
animals are raised with out the routine use of antibiotics. antibiotics are only administered to a sick animal. organic farmers pull the sick fauna from the herd before treating it and the meat is non sold under that label	routine apply of antibiotics is used to promote growth and prevent disease3 due to crowded and unhealthy atmospheric condition routine use of antibiotics in industrial facilities is believed to pb to antibody resistance in humansfour making antibiotics less effective leaving the elderly, medically vulnerable, and children at risk upwardly to 90% of all antibiotics used in livestock production in Canada are not used to treat sick animals merely are used every bit growth promotersv
Environmental Problems:
sustainable farmers recognize the importance of protecting the natural surroundings and act every bit stewards of the land	industrial facilities contribute to numerous environmental issues such equally impairment to our air, h2o, and soil. (see these topics for more detail) overapplication of manure can lead to contamination of water
Fauna Waste product Problems:
sustainable farms but heighten what the land is capable of handling farmers use manure or composted manure as fertilizer for crops which reduces or eliminates the need for commercial fertilizers and chemicals.	industrial livestock production concentrates large numbers of animals in one expanse. As a issue, there is too much manure concentrated in one area for the land to handle. Manure is stored in big holding pits, lagoons, or stock piled. Due to high transportation costs, manure is oft over-applied to fields close to the performance. Manure becomes something factory farms must dispose of instead of a fertilizer. liquid manure is ofttimes sprayed onto country and crops equally raw, untreated sewage. such large amounts of manure not only cause excessive odours but they also release hazardous gases into the air and contaminate water sources with pathogens, phosphourous, and nitrogen. manure storage emits gases such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and methyl hydride. These gases can crusade noxious odours, besides as a suite of health problemssix
Water Waste Issues:
sustainable farms protect h2o sources and conserve water	industrial operations use huge amounts of water for liquefying manure, flushing barns, and drinking water for animals industrial operations oft contaminate water sources with backlog nutrients, hormone and antibiotic residue, and harmful pathogens livestock manure has up to thirty times more power to pollute surface water than human waste matter7
Soil Issues:
sustainable farms apply animal manure at a rate that the land can handle protect riparian areas	excess nitrogen in manure can evaporate as ammoniaeight backlog nitrogen and phosphorous left behind can not but change soil characteristics, and thus productivity, but also run off into nearby streams and rivers and impact h2o supplies9 undigested feed may contain trace amounts of heavy metals and salts that accumulate in manure storage units. The accumulated metals may sit down in the bottom of storage container for extended periods. When a spill or leak occurs, these metals terminate upwardly in the soil metals that are oftentimes found in manure include copper, zinc, cadmium, molybdenum, nickel,lead, iron, manganese, and boron. If applied to the soil or spilled, high concentrations of heavy metals can reduce the types of crops that volition grow in soil10
Hormone Issues:
no hormones are administered to animals on sustainable farms	iii natural hormones and 3 synthetic hormones have been canonical for utilize in beefiness in Canada11 hormones are used to achieve leaner beef, increase in growth using less feed, and to reduce the cost for producers12 consumption of hormone-treated beefiness may cause girls to attain puberty before, thus making them more susceptible to chest and other cancers13
Genetic Diversity Problems:
sustainable farms help preserve genetic diversity by raising a broad range of animal breeds many of these breeds are chosen due to the geographic areas in which they are raised	Industrial farms reduce genetic diverseness in animals because they just enhance a few selected breeds the need for quick growth and loftier output requires genetic qualities that provide a more compatible product
Fuel Bug:
sustainable farms use efficient application of manure and crop rotation to minimize fuel consumption	intensive livestock production contributes 80% of agriculture'south greenhouse gas emissions14
Transportation Bug
sustainable farms sell their product locally through farmer'due south markets, local stores, or community supported agriculture (CSA) programs. This prevents environmental damage and human health issues caused by transportation-generated pollution	industrial-scale livestock production is ordinarily centralized and therefore requires extensive transportation every bit the altitude food travels increases, so does the function of chemicals and processing to reduce spoilage earlier the food reaches the marketplacexv food animals often travel many hours without food or waterxvi
Animal Welfare Bug:
Sustainably-raised animals are treated humanely and are permitted to bear out natural behaviours such every bit rooting in the dirt and pecking the ground	industrial animals are crammed together in confined areas or cages without access to sunlight, fresh air, or open pasture. Densely populated confinement barns limit animal move and increase the potential for rapid spread of disease17 many undergo painful mutilations such as castration, tail-docking and branding without anesthesia or pain reliefxviii most food animals are forced to suffer the agony of long-distance transport. Electric current federal legislation stipulates that it's legal to ship food animals anywhere from 36 to 52 hours (depending on the species) without h2o, food or a residue ceasenineteen
Economic/Customs Issues:
sustainable farms support local economies by purchasing supplies and materials from local businesses Owners of pocket-sized, sustainable farms are actively involved in their communities, helping to build resilient rural communities	many communities are left with the cost of environmental harmxx negative impacts on a community both socially and economically outweigh any positive industrial livestock facilities hire equally few workers every bit possible and typically purchase equipment, supplies, and animal feed from companies exterior the area21 small rural communities are divided when industrial livestock facilities are located in rural areas
Worker Issues:
sustainable farm owners provide a prophylactic working environment	workers are inside the barn where air quality is at its worst. Amidst the nigh serious hazards faced by workers is routine exposure to dust and gases emitted from sources of concentrated manure. they are subjected to an array of hazards such as respiratory infections, sprains, bruises, severe head trauma, fractures, electrocution and repetitive movement injury22

                      <div id="footnotes">         <p>             ane. Intensive Livestock Operations and Wellness Problems, Paul Hasselback, Cover, book 2, no. 2, Dec 1997          </p>         <p>             ii. "Agronomical antibiotics and resistance in human pathogens: villain or scapegoat?" Allison J. McGeer, Msc Medico, Canadian Medical Association Journal, Nov. three, 1998          </p>         <p>             3. Antibody Resistant Factories factsheet, Cathy Holtslander, Beyond Mill Farming Coalition, 2007          </p>         <p>             four. "Agricultural use of antibiotics and the evolution and transfer of antibiotic-resistant bacteria", George Chiliad. Khachatoruians, BA, MA, PhD, Canadian Medical Clan Periodical, Nov. 3, 1998          </p>         <p>             v. It'southward Hitting the Fan, Environmental Defence Canada, 2002          </p>         <p>             6. ibid.          </p>         <p>             7. ibid.          </p>         <p>             8. ibid.          </p>         <p>             9. ibid.          </p>         <p>             10. "Understanding Hormone Employ in Beef", Canadian Cattlemen's Association and Beef Information Middle, February 2006          </p>         <p>             11. ibid.          </p>         <p>             12. "The Real Dope on Beef", Bradford Duplisea, Canadian Health Coalition, (Calgary Herald), 2001          </p>         <p>             14. Livestock'due south long shadow, Environmental issues and options, H. Steinfeld, P. Gerber, T. Wassenaar, Five. Castel, M. Rosales, C. deHann, 2006          </p>         <p>             xv. "Nutrient Miles", <a href="http://world wide web.sierraclub.ca">Sierra Order of Canada</a>          </p>         <p>             xvi. Inching toward humane treatment for nutrient animals, Lynn Kavanaugh, The Vancouver Sun, June 14, 2007          </p>         <p>             17. It's Hitting the Fan, Environmental Defence Canada, 2002          </p>         <p>             18. Inching toward humane treatment for food animals, Lynn Kavanaugh, The Vancouver Sun, June 14, 2007          </p>         <p>             nineteen. ibid.          </p>         <p>             20. Large-Scale Hog Product and Processing: Concerns for Manitobans, Commissioners' Report on the Citizens' Hearing on Hog Production and the Surroundings, Brandon, Manitoba, October 1999          </p>         <p>             21. Pollution Shopping in Rural America: The myth of economic development in isolated regions, Dr. William J. Weida, March 2001          </p>         <p>             22. Intensive Livestock Operations and Your Health,              <a href="http://www.sierraclub.ca">                 Sierra Club of Canada              </a>         </p>     </div>                  

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Source: http://www.beyondfactoryfarming.org/get-informed/industrial-vs-family-farms-comparison

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