Do you think factory farming will ever end?

[Cherry234]

There's no quick or easy solution to this problem. Factory farming does not only occur in the US but it happens globally. If you think factory farming will continue to exist please tell me why or why not. I want to hear your thoughts on this complex issue.

[youngmix]

That is a hard beast to slay.
I am leaning towards believing that we naturally move in that direction, because we need food and we work towards making everything more efficient. We like to save time so that we can do other things. We also like to save resources (minimize cost, sometimes the cost is money). So there many incentives to progressively industrialize most processes. In the end, factory farming provides cheap food fast, and that is really hard to beat.

It would take all or most of us getting involved, and losing time, space, and money on an individual and constant rate. Neighborhood chicken coops for every city block, and keeping them close --there are disease control, labor organization, and property management issues with this lifestyle. Population density would have to decrease, zones would have to be redistricted, cities would either shrink in population or grow in border size, possible building redesigns, the complete overhaul of the housing market, an unknown fate and remedy for the apartment dwelling population, etc.

We could create a massive number of small scale farms, but those that industrialize would put the other ones out of business, or buy out their land. We could link specific neighborhoods with specific farms as a remedy, but if anything happens to that farm, we would need contingencies, thus overproduction from someone, which can have a major impact on a business. Especially one that has high unit by unit costs per day, like animals. It would become a major undertaking, and in short, cost more. How much more, I do not know, as I have not tried to computer this.

We could eat less meat, but good luck with that one. That will happen when we have less humans, less farmland, or if the cost goes through the roof, as in many other countries. Even then, factory farming did not disappear, but local community farming increased. There are less factories, though. But as I said, this carries

I'm sure that I haven't thought of everything, but the world sucks. I hope that better minds will some day approach this issue with a reasonable remedy. If you have an idea, shoot. I want to read it. And I'm not trying to be rude, I really want to know your thoughts. Our most pressing issues will require many minds and cooperation.

[purplepoppy]

No but I do think there'll be a greater push towards better welfare standards.

[Cherry234]

Hopefully there will be better animal welfare standards in the future (like hopefully in a few decades or by the next century at least).

[WindAtMyBack]

As long as we have 7 billion people in the world it won't go away. You can't feed that many people without mass production. It's questionable if you can feed that many people even with mass production. As the population increases it will only get worse.

More natural farming doesn't produce nearly as much. Organic farming has an even lower yield even when done on a small scale (which it all is). The number of organic farms are on the rise, but the yield per acre is still lower than other methods. Higher land use causes other problems as well.

It all starts with the population. Humans have vastly over populated the planet way beyond it's carrying capacity. There will be a wide variety of ramifications because of that. It's ultimately behind a whole list of other problems. If the population continues to increase, there will be a cost and it will affect every other living thing on the planet.

[ArrowheadSW]

I know of some VERY large greenhouses in the area where I live. They grow food on a big scale with more output per year, using less nutrients and less water. They also use solar power. So in that regard I think it is "progress" and not abuse of the land, etc.

[Cherry234]

That sounds promising.

[ArrowheadSW]

I heard before the pandemic, that they were going to start giving tours. I don't know if they will follow through with that now that Covid isn't as much of a thing.

[wheresmrcunnunglis]

Depends if we can ever hone in on focusing on agriculture to actually do so. Since it always gets placed on the backburner due to the myriad of other things that take the front seat which is wild given that factory farming control a huge portion of how and what we eat. So essentially our life is in the hands of factory farms.

[andreasderjuengere]

Unless we get rid of the useless portion of humanity, I see no way to get rid of it.
Even assholes want to eat.
''Factory'' farming in itself is nothing too bad - where it becomes troublesome is, where greed-capitalism joins it; or strangulates it.

[Anonymous]

With the nutritional requirements of the human race, and the acreage it takes to feed a person, combined with the relative localization of resources... If you want to eat and survive as a species at this population level or higher

1. ) Factory farms are necessary
2.) GMOs (I agree, barf) are necessary
And3.) Antibiotics in livestock are necessary. While I agree that ALL of these have downstream problems, we need to find the solution to the source.

[NathanDavis]

greed started, even before the first farming and crops started...

and it hasn't stopped, I don't think there's a stop to our greed, if it were possible... it would have stopped long time ago, and it's clearly not the case

[Still-alive]

We can always hope but it likely won’t stop within our generation at least

[Cherry234]

Probably not. I think future generations are going to look back on this and shake their heads in disbelief.

[Still-alive]

yeah they will also be wondering why we didn't take climate change as seriously either as they struggle for water and food and such...

[Waldoe]

Why would it? It is extremely efficient; America has become the "Bread Basket" of the World... Millions of starving people are fed... why would we stop doing the thing that is working?

[Cherry234]

It is efficient and it works but it has many negative consequences. It goes beyond animal welfare/animal cruelty concerns. It's bad for the environment and rural communities that live near factory farms are affected.

[notwoke]

how is it bad for the environment

[Cherry234]

@notwoke Because factory farms produce greenhouse gas emissions and a lot of animal waste isn't disposed of properly. The animal waste is stored in what's called cesspools and they end up polluting the air. The animal waste produced by factory farms also pollute the water.

[notwoke]

global warming is a farce, if farm animals passing gas causes global worming then so does your dog and cat and they don't feed anyone. If farm animal waste pollutes, then so doss the waste of deer and rabbits. Put the kool aid away

[humanearth]

Its only be factory farms, because the super powerful don't want people to have freedom.

Small family farms is the symbol of true freedom and they don't want people to have freedom

[OldWorldOrder]

Yes.

World War 3 will end it until humanity re-industrializes.

[BeMuse]

Obviously intensive agriculture will continue as long as there is a demand for food. Most people are too lazy to grow the majority of their food so they will demand someone else gets that work done for them and they will pay for it to continue...

[exitseven]

We have an ever growing population. not just in the US but also worldwide. These people need to be fed.

[Guanfei]

Maybe when we'll reduce the world population by half. But since it's apparently bad to tell the countries with the highest birthrates to stop making too many kids, it's not for today.

[Dargil]

I think the answer is no unless we gave some sort of population reducing holocaust.

[Dargil]

Have not gave.

[loveslongnails]

No, it will not end, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't buy local.

[BillyBalls]

Until the world population declines and people want to grow their own food, factory farming will be a necessity.

[MrTaboo]

No, it's the only way to keep crop and animal production costs down. In fact that'll be all that's left.

[Anonymous]

Actually there is a quick and easy solution; radically reduce the worlds population.

[humanearth]

That's happening as I type this. Its coming here real soon

[pizzalovershouse]

Yes the ones who use hydroponics if there considered in what your asking

[LordOfThePines]

Unfortunately no, not while our population is so high.

[notwoke]

as the human population increases more of this will be needed because people will want to eat

[OddBeMe]

Yes, and as precious resources deplete it’ll only get worse. We’ll soon be eating soylent green.

[lofii]

Farms only feed so much. It wouldn't be able to keep up with a growing society

[SeekingVirginWife]

I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.

[jimmy2]

Well the farmers are individuals here in the US but many are dying out so it could come here

[dustybiker]

I think other things will happen first.

[Anonymous]

Not while the population is this high

Kill some of them and cook them up, 2 birds 1 stone

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

There is a possibility factory farming could end