Mark Bittman, a food writer, wrote in the New York Times that the solution must go further than completely cooking chicken or washing our hands but must also go to the production level. Some solutions include the FDA not allowing Salmonella-tainted food (even trace amounts) to grocery shelves and disallowing the use of prophylactic antibiotics.

In addition to these concerns, the overcrowded and unnatural conditions chickens are subjected to on factory farms leads to stress on the animals. Stressful conditions cause the chickens to release a stress hormone that leads to the growth of Campylobacter , an infection that humans may get if they consume infected poultry.

As demand for poultry increases, factory farms will attempt to churn out more and bigger birds. In an article by Dale Keiger in John Hopkins Magazine , it is pointed out that “some drug-resistant infections [come] from food”. Factory farms “routinely” feed antibiotics to their livestock to accelerate growth. According to researchers at John Hopkins, “industrial farming of chickens, pigs, and cattle is cultivating more than poultry and livestock — it’s cultivating bacteria that medicine is losing the ability to fight”.

–> Pollution in China –> Poor history with food –> If we’ll even get back the same chicken we send over for processing

In October, TSW’s WC wrote an article titled Domestic Chicken to be Processed in China – Why We Should be Concerned . The article took a look at the increased world-wide demand for poultry and how some companies are shipping chicken to China for processing and what that means for the health of American citizens. Things to be concerned about include:

On top of concerns over GE salmon, rice and corn, keeping up with poultry demand and the quality control issues this creates is another area of great concern.

The discussion of genetically modifying animals was as hot a topic then as it is now, only it’s no longer a hypothesis. Recently, AquaBounty , was given the green light by the Canadian government to begin the production of salmon from genetically engineered (GE) salmon eggs. The plan is to market the fish to Americans. This is just one of many GE and GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) food source news. GMO corn, rice , soy beans and other crops are headliners almost on a weekly basis.

As far back as 2001, the ability to produce more chickens and other “meat” foods was being discussed in symposiums sponsored by the companies involved in the industry along with federal agencies, such as the FDA and USDA.

Big Difference in Factory Farm Eggs and Pasture Raised Chicken Eggs

According to the Cornucopia Institute, “The most striking difference between eggs laid by factory-farm chickens and those laid by chickens foraging on pasture is the color of the yolk”.

Also, eggs from pasture raised chickens have “golden to deep-orange-colored yolks, an indication of the higher amounts of beta carotene in the chickens’ diet”. Unlike factory eggs, the pastured chicken egg has an “eggier flavor and creamier texture”.

Food Production Increase Argument and Justification for Farm Factories Solutions

The National Institute for Animal Agriculture published a white paper based on the 2013 Annual Conference on “Animal Agriculture’s Vision to Feed the World; Merging Value & Technology”.

The symposium’s purpose and design was to address the world’s population projected to be 9 billion by 2050. “The responsibility of providing an abundant, affordable, safe food supply must be delivered while protecting the resources that sustain us: the land, water and air.”

The paper continues, “Scientific innovations – practices, products and genetics-have significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of food production. Today’s farmers and ranchers can grow more food with greater efficiency, allowing them to feed more people while consuming fewer natural resources and generating less animal waste.”

Organic and Pasture Farmers Disagree with Factory Farms’ Claims

Many organic and pasture farmers argue that such claims are false. As far back as 2004, these type of statements were refuted. In his 2004 paper, Considering the Rationales for Factory Farming, Dr. William J Weida states that, “CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) are industries not agriculture. They create industrial-sized pollution and waste problems. They masquerade as agriculture because pollution monitoring and pollution regulation are weaker in the agricultural sector.”

Opponents state that, aside from pollution concerns, the real danger in industrial farming seems to be the constantly growing demands for mass production that desensitizes the human perception of animals. In an organic and/or pasture farming method, the animal is allowed to be what it was naturally created to be. The cows graze in open fields and the chickens scratch and peck in pastures.

They are exposed to sunlight and eat from the earth. They are an intricate part of the ecological system and have an active normal life. Their farm factory counterparts aren’t comparable and have already been transformed into a different type of creature. The line between humane treatment and farming has become obscured in the movement for mass production in a farm factory.

However, those who argue that small farms can never keep up with the ever increasing demand point to methods that would allow for increased production in a humane manner that provides healthier meat options for the consumer. They point to concerns, such as organic farms being “only about 80% as productive as more conventional methods“.

Some are concerned that traditional animal farms are quickly being replaced by corporate factory farms. Just like GMO crops replacing the original crop seeds, many watchdog groups and scientists warn that the chicken or cow you know today may in the near future become an animal you no longer recognize.

Should you eat factory farm chicken? The choice is yours. Mass produced chicken is typically less expensive, but if you are concerned about contaminants or the treatment of the animals, then you may want to opt for poultry produced in more natural environments.

If you want to ensure you aren’t buying factory farm meats, there are two labels you can look for. The first is the Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) label that was created in 2006 by the non-profit Animal Welfare Institute. It’s the “only label that requires pasture access for all animals”. In addition, “animals must be able to behave naturally and be in a state of physical and psychological well-being, and that the way we raise our animals, the nutritional quality of the food they produce, and the impact of the farming system on the environment are all intrinsically linked.” The label is only awarded to family farmers and there’s no fee for participating farmers.

The other label is the American Humane Certified program founded in 2000 by the American Humane Association. The label ensures the consumer that “livestock have access to clean and sufficient food and water in a safe, healthy living environment”. The staff and managers are “thoroughly trained to care for animals in a humane manner”.

What do you think? Are you willing to pay a little more for poultry produced on a smaller farm and under more natural conditions or do you prefer to stick to the less expensive factory farm versions? Share your thoughts in the comments area below.