Have you ever visited a factory farm before? Do you know the story behind the meat industry? No? Well, here are some quick facts you should know:

1) Animal problems - the factory farming system is a system that wants to work as fast and as cheaply as possible. Cows, calves, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, hen, geese and other animals are kept in small cages or stalls, where they are unable to turn around or move comfortably. Broiler chickens (who are raised to eat, not lay eggs) are packed in sheds with artificial lighting to keep them eating as much and as often as possible. They’re bred and druged to grow so big so quickly that their legs and organs can’t keep up. The chickens suffer heart attacks, organ failure, and crippling leg deformities. Many become crippled under their own weight and eventually die because they can’t reach the water nozzles. Young calves’ are branded with hot irons and their horns are burned off – all without painkillers. After that, they are sent to crowded, massive muddy pastures to be fattened up at dairy farms and kept in tiny cages without exercise. Breeding sows spend their entire lives in tiny metal crates where they can't turn around. Piglets are taken away from their moms when they’re less than 1 month old; their tails are cut off and some of their teeth are removed all without any pain relief. When it’s time for slaughter, these smart animals are transported many miles and many die of heat exhaustion during the summer or arrive frozen to the inside of the truck in the winter.
2) Environmental problems - raising and slaughtering over 8 billion chickens & turkeys, 101 million pigs, 37 million cattle & calves and 4 million horses, goats & sheep annually is not eco-friendly. It takes 8,449 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef compared to 23 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of tomatoes. In fact, it takes more water to feed a meat eater for a month than to feed a vegetarian for a year. Factory farm animals produce 3 trillion pounds of waste each year. The waste is either stored in deep, bigger-than-a-football-field sized bins called lagoons or sprayed into the air on a crop or farm area. Both of these options cause problems. When it rains, the lagoons overflow and spill the contents out into rivers, ponds and other vital water sources. Also, they are not pleasant to smell. The liquid manure sprayed on crops and farm fields are often carried away by the wind, only to be inhaled by nearby residents. Factory farms also produce massive amounts of dust and other contaminates that pollute our air. The major reason why countries such as Brazil and Latin America are chopping down their rainforests is to create pastureland for cows, which will soon be fast-food hamburgers. Shipping animals and cutting down trees burns fossil fuels and releases carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. These greenhouse gases majorly contribute to global warming.
3) Workers’ problems - animals aren’t the only ones who are treated unfairly. The fast speed lines, dirty floors and lack of training in the meatpacking factories makes it the most dangerous job in America. Not only that, but one of the lowest paid factory workers. Since there is a big demand for meat, the meat industry refuses to slow down the lines or buy appropriate safety gear for the employees, because these changes could cut into companies’ profits. Injuries are common in the meatpacking factories, because the workers are going so fast and working closely together –some accidentally stab themselves or someone next to them. Sometimes a worker will lose an arm or finger to one of the machines. A lot of times, they are injured by the animals (before the animals are shackled and hoisted onto the conveyor line, a worker is suppose to kill the animal by usually by shocking them; however, the speed line is going by so fast, the animals are not always properly shocked and end up staying conscious through the whole slaughter process). Factory hog farms have high levels of ammonia fumes and fecal dust in the air and 70% of all workers in pork facilities suffer from respiratory illnesses or irritations.

These facts aren’t really secrets, but many people don’t know much of what goes on in factory farms. What’s the best way to help animals, the environment, workers and your health? Become a vegetarian or vegan! A vegetarian is someone who doesn’t eat meat or fish, but usually dairy products and eggs. There are actually specific types of vegetarians (such as an ovo-vegetarian who doesn’t eat meat or dairy products, but does eat eggs). A vegan is a person who doesn’t eat any animals or animal bi-products (such as dairy, honey or eggs). If you’re not sure about going vegetarian/vegan, try opting to remove meat from your meals once a week. Even the smallest changes count! Want to learn more? I recommend checking out these really good books:
“Slaughterhouse: the Shocking Story of Greed, Neglect & Inhumane Treatment Inside the U.S. Meat Industry” by Gail A. Eisntz, 
“Veggie Revolution: Smart Choices for a Healthy Body and a Healthy Planet” by Sally & Sara Kneidel