Factory Farming Controversy

993 Words4 Pages

Introduction: Bad press is bad for business and a company’s bottom line. The agriculture business in America and around the world has seen heightened controversy due to leaked images of unethical treatment of animals. The industry hit hardest by this controversy is known as industrial agriculture or factory farms. Factory farms are very large centers that produce much of the meat, eggs, dairy, and other foodstuffs we consume. Factory farms have attempted to fight this bad press by sponsoring laws that outlaw the sharing of any images without the farm owner’s permission. I’ll argue that an effective New York Times article written by Mark Bittman (1) shows that laws attempting to stop the distribution of images through legislation or ‘Ag Gag laws’, a term coined by Bittman, are not the best solution to the problem for anyone including the companies sponsoring these bills. The controversy arose when groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) used undercover footage to expose inhumane practices of some of these factory farms such as shocking animals, slamming them into the ground …show more content…

As recent market trends show (8), customers are ready and willing to pay more for these demands. Pittman introduced this idea effectively, and I believe he argues well that reform is the best approach. However, I think he could have bolstered his argument by showing why it was in everyone’s best interest and offering the idea of certification programs (9) as an option as well. Overall, I fully agree that we need laws and enforcement preventing abuse of animals that have no control over the situation they were born into. They are giving their lives for us to eat therefore it is my belief that we owe them at minimum our respect and care during their