Question of the Week: Is factory farming a real concern or is this a campaign to single out a corporate entity?

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The Organic Consumers Association is boycotting Horizon because of factory farming practices. http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5282.cfm

Do you think this is fair? Is Horizon being unfairly singled out? Let us know what you think? (thanks for the tip david!)

Comments

June 13, 2007 - 9:04am — Mary

Totally fair

I think factory farming practices inevitably will lead to antibiotic use and unhealthier animals (I would think anyway, not being a farmer!). Factory farming is wrong because it negates the aspect of being "organic" that focuses on the welfare and health of the animals, even if it is still technically organic. Animal stress affects their hormones and hormones affect the milk, which affects the products being sold. I'm totally supportive of the boycott -- though Organic Consumers Association might want to consider their policies of what to support and what to fight. If you dilute your message too much, you lose credibility.

June 11, 2007 - 8:13am — Rachel

mutual exclusivity

My comment "not mutually exclusive" was not between factory farming and organic... it was a reaction to the question..."The options, factory farming being a real concern or a campaign to single out a corporate entity are not mutually exclusive." So, what I was trying to say (though apparently not very well) is that factory farming is BOTH a real concern and (in this case) a campaign to single out a corporate entity. I agree with you "I thought many of the abusive factory farming techniques, such as overcrowding, require heavy use of antibiotics and other non-organic methods to be successful."...but then that wouldn't be "organic" and the issue would also be certification regulations and the impact of misleading marketing.

June 2, 2007 - 1:30pm — Todd

They aren't mutually exclusive?

I would think that factory farming and organic would, as a practical matter, be somewhat mutually exclusive. I thought many of the abusive factory farming techniques, such as overcrowding, require heavy use of antibiotics and other non-organic methods to be successful. Guess that's not the case.

May 31, 2007 - 4:50pm — Rachel

not mutually exclusive

The options, factory farming being a real concern or a campaign to single out a corporate entity are not mutually exclusive. Obviously, Horizon is not the only corporation to engage in factory farming, yet their organic label can be misleading; ideally there would be regulation on business practices of organic farms along with the growing methods. I still believe that a small family run farm where the animals are loved and fed well without medications or hormones is much better than a factory farm. But I also think an organic factory farm is better than a conventional factory farm. I think what is underlying this question is the most disturbing: nearly everything we put in our mouths is big business, and this greatly affects the health of our enivronment, our families, and ourselves.

May 31, 2007 - 10:42am — Nick

Factory Farming

I knew it was an issue, but not *this* much of an issue. After reading these articles, how could anyone think it isn't an issue? Often we'll get our meats from local farms here in central Florida. We also have a lot of fish in our diet. I catch the fish myself, sparing the supermarket / factories. Probably a very small step, but hopefully one in the proper direction.

May 30, 2007 - 5:06pm — Paige

Both the book and movie Fast

Both the book and movie Fast Food Nation provide a critical and somewhat gruesome look into this topic. Definitely worth seeing for an eye-opening view. Rumor has it, that Ethan Hawke who starred in the movie went vegetarian afterwards because it had such a profound effect.

May 30, 2007 - 11:49am — Tom

Bad news

I am afraid I am really biased against factory farms after having read such books as the Omnivore's Dilemma and Diet For a New America. This animated video (the Meatrix) is also pretty informative: http://www.themeatrix.com We didn't use to have factory farms and it seems like we got along fine - maybe meat wasn't as cheap as it is now and profits weren't as high for the food companies, but every generation before about 30 years ago got by without this method of food production. Even if you are not opposed to the inhumanity of factory farms, they are breeding grounds for disease and necessitate the use of antibiotics and lots of insecticides which of course find their way into our foods. If you want to see what really goes on in them, do a search on YouTube, but be advised, these images are not for the faint of heart

May 30, 2007 - 8:17am — Beth

?

I'm not familiar with the pros and cons of factory farming, and it doesn't become any clearer with this question or with the linked article. Can someone please explain?

May 30, 2007 - 8:38am — David

Factory Farming

Factory farming is driven by attempts to increase the scale of agricultural (in this case milk) production. The ethical issues revolve around the treatment of animals who are stuffed together en mass in conditions that most would find deplorable and inhumane if they witnessed them. Check out http://www.factoryfarming.com/ for some basic images. For a lighter introduction to connection between how we farm and what we eat, check out www.backwardshamburger.com which is a 2 minute animated trailer for the movie Fast Food Nation. The Horizon milk overproduction issue is a more complicated one and doesn't get to the heart of factory farming: the inhumane treatment of animals. Therefore, I'm not sure this is the issue we all should be focusing on and Horizon as a Big Organic producer is the product, not the cause, of a complicated system of incentives that produces the drive towards profit at all costs -- most importantly, our basic humanity. Food for thought.... Can you still look at your hamburger the same way?

May 30, 2007 - 10:05am — Beth

Yuck

Just took a look at the backwards hamburger video and the pics on factoryfarming.com. Very disturbing.

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