+ Factory Farming Basics

Marketing Old MacDonald:
Photo: Link

CAFOs: “Animal Feeding Operations” USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service Web.
All photos public domain from Wikimedia Commons
Link

A Brief History of Poultry
Technology Innovation
The Chicken of Tomorrow:
Jeannie Hudkins. “Eat Like You Give a Damn: for the animals, for your health, for the planet” 2013, Mill City Press, Minneapolis, pp. 4-5

Link

9 billion animals: ”Farm Animal Statistics: Slaughter Totals." Humane Society of the United States. 2016. Web.
Link

99% of all animal products: “New poll shows majority uncomfortable with animal farming despite eating turkeys for Thanksgiving”, Sentience Institute. November 2017. Web.
Link

+ Animals

Chickens produce 300 eggs/year, that’s 3x natural amount: “History of Egg Production.” American Egg Board. Incredible Edible Egg. 2007. Web.
Link
Photo: Animal Place

Debeaking: “Animal Husbandry Guidelines for U.S. Egg-Laying Flocks” United Egg Producers 2017, p. 9 Web.
Link
Photos: Link

Video (debeaking): Undercover investigation by Mercy for Animals

67 square inches FF statistic:
“Animal Husbandry Guidelines for U.S. Egg-Laying Flocks”, United Egg Producers, 2017, p. 19 Web.
Link
Photo 1: Wikimedia Commons
Photo 2: Compassion Over Killing

Chickens live for 6-8 years & slaughtered at 1-2 years old FF statistic:
Berry, Joe. “Often Asked Questions about Poultry and Eggs.” Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service, Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Web.
Link

% of eggs from caged hens statistic:
United Egg Producers, “Animal Husbandry Guidelines for U.S. Egg-Laying Flocks” 2017 Web.
Link
Photo: Animal Place

250 million male layers discarded each year:
“No More Culls? Male Layer Chicks Might Soon Be Spared Death Sentence” The Poultry Site. 2017, Web
Link
Photo: Humane League Labs.

Broilers grow so rapidly:
Martin, D. “Researcher Studying Growth-Induced Diseases in Broilers.” Feedstuffs. 1997. Print.

Average weight increase, drop in time to market, daily feed requirements:
William, Boyd. “Making Meat: Science, Technology, and American Poultry Production,” Technology and Culture. 2001. (cited from Foer 106).

Daily growth rate increase: Knowles, T.G. “Leg Disorders in Broiler Chickens: Prevalence, Risk Factors and Prevention.” PLoS ONE. 2008. (cited from Foer 48).
Link

Broiler chickens severely crippled:
Kestin, S.C. “Prevalence of leg weakness in broiler chickens and its relationship with genotype.” Veterinary Record. 29 Aug. 1992: p.131, pp. 190-194. Print.

90% broiler chickens can’t walk normally:
Kestin, S.C. “Prevalence of leg weakness in broiler chickens and its relationship with genotype.” Veterinary Record. 29 Aug. 1992: p.131, pp.190-194. Print.
Photo: Link

Workers crate 105 chickens in 3.5 min:
“Blood, Sweat, and Fear: Workers’ Rights in US Meat and Poultry Plants.” New York: Human Rights Watch. 2004. (cited from Foer 104).

30% birds arriving with freshly broken bones:
T.G. Knowles. “Handling and Transport of Spent Hens,” World’s Poultry Science Journal. 1994. pp.. 60-61 (cited from Foer 132).
Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

“Humane Methods of Livestock Slaughter.“ USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Web.
Link
Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Slaughter (chickens):
“A Critical Review of Electrical Water-Bath Stun Systems for Poultry Slaughter and Recent Developments in Alternative Technologies”, Humane Society Institute for Science and Policy Animal Studies Repository, 2010. Web.
Link

“The Need for Legislation and Elimination of Electrical Immobilization”. United Poultry Concerns.
Link Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Cage free: “Cage-Free vs. Battery-Cage Eggs.” The Humane Society of the United States.
Link
Photo: Wikimedia commons.

Free range:
“Fact Sheet: Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms.” USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Apr. 2011. Web.
Link
Photo: Animal Legal Defense Fund.

Organic Label:
“Labeling Organic Products.” Agricultural Marketing Service. USDA. Web.
Link

Photo: USDA

Artificial insemination:
Webb, D.W. “Artificial Insemination of Dairy Cattle.” University of Florida Electronic Data Information.Reviewed June 2003. Web.
Link
Photo: Link

Video:
Clip from the Documentary Adieu veau, vache, cochon, couvee by Beatrice Limare.
Link

Calves separated from their mothers soon after birth:
“Early separation of cow and calf has long-term effects on social behavior”. Science Daily. April 2015. Web.
Link

Cows milked 3 times per day to 10-12 months: “Is three-times-a-day milking for you?”. Michigan State University Extension. June 2011. Web.
Link
Photo: Gunnar Richter Namenlos.net via Wikimedia Commons

Gestation Crate: “Crammed into Gestation Crates.” Humane Society of the United States. 2014. Web.
Link

Farrowing Crate:
Philpot, Tom. “You won’t believe what pork producers do to pregnant pigs.” Mother Jones. July/August 2013 article. Web.
Link

Sows showing signs of insanity: Blackwell, “Production Practices and Well-Being: Swine.” (Cited from Foer Pgs. 183-187).

Piglet tails and testicles removed without anesthetic: “The Use of Drugs in Food Animals: Benefits and Risks,” National Academy of Science. 1999. (Cited from Foer 168).

Castrated meat: “Castration of pigs”, Virginia Cooperative Extension Newsletter Archive, Livestock Update, January 2008
Link
Photo: Link

Common Farming Practice Exemption: “Large-scale farmed animal abuse and neglect: law and its enforcement” Animal Law and Ethics, Issue 63, May 2011.

Ag-gag laws: “Ag-gag Laws Keep Animal Cruelty Behind Closed Doors”. The Humane Society of the United States. Web.
Link
Photo: Link

Fish stocks fully fished or overfished: “Future of world fish production depends on urgent action to combat falling fish stocks” Oceana,July 2016, Web.
Link
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Video: Ocean Defender- Hawaii
Link

Bycatch: “Bycatch Threats” World Wildlife Foundation. Web.
Link
“Reducing Bycatch in Shrimp Trawlers: Could efforts in North Carolina Provide a Solution?” The Fish Site April 2016. Web.
Link
Photo: Link

Aquaculture:
“Effects of Aquaculture or Fish Farming on Ocean Health”. The Seafood Watch Program of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Web.
Link
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Slavery:
“Thailand: Forced Labor, Trafficking Persist in Fishing Fleets”, Human Rights Watch January 2018. Web.
Link

+ Social Justice

Cumulative trauma injuries / slaughterhouse workers:
“Inspection Guidance for Poultry Slaughtering and Poultry Processing Establishments”, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, United States Department of Labor. October 2015 Web.
Link

No health insurance:
“Slaughterhouse workers” Food Empowerment Project
Link

Amputations:
“Amputations abound at Tyson Foods, OSHA records shed more light on industrial food production” The Pump Handle. January 2016. Web.
Link

Diapers in slaughterhouses:
“Poultry Workers, Denied Bathroom Breaks, Wear Diapers: Oxfam Report” nbc news May 2016. Web.
Link
Photo: USDA

PTSD:
McWilliams, James. “PTSD in the Slaughterhouse.” The Texas Observer. 07 Feb 2012. Web.
Link

Cleaning Crew:
“The American meat industry’s dark secret” Business Insider, January 2018. Web.
Link

National Beef Plant:
“Deaths of Three at Kansas Meat Packing Plant Investigated.” Oaklahoman. June, 1991. Web.
Link

Factory farms are destroying Communities Drive small farmers out of business:
“A few companies dominate American meat Industry: Washington Post opinion”, Oregon Live, The Oregonian , November 23 2013. Web.
Link

CAFOs drive down property values: “Examples of Properties Devalued by Factory Farms: Studies and Reports”, Factory Farm Tax Protest. Web.
Link

Health problems:
“What’s Wrong With Factory Farms?”, Factory Farm Map, Food and Water Watch. Web.
Link

Legally employ children as young as 12:
‘Child Labor Bulletin 102. Child Labor Requirements in Agricultural Occupations Under the Fair Labor Standards Act”, U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division. Web.
Link

Work 42 hours per week but living at poverty level:
“Low Wages”, National Farm Worker Ministry. Web
Link

10,000-20,000 workers diagnosed with “pesticide poisoning’ every year:
‘NIOSH Pesticide Poisoning Monitoring Program Protects Farmworkers”, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.
Link

Food Access. Where the money goes: The Foods that Subsidies Support “U.S. touts fruits and vegetables while subsidizing animals that become meat”, Health & Science, Washington Post, October 3 2011. Web.
Link

Racial Disparities:
“Food Equity: How Structural Racism Reduces Sustainability in the Food System”, Sustainability Institute, July 26 2016
Link
“Congress could cut another $8.7 billion in food stamp benefits”, MSNBC, January 9 2014. Web.
Link

+ Health

80% of antibiotics are used on animals:
Johns Hopkins, Center for a Liveable Future, “Food Production and Public Health”, 2012
Link

Swine-flu:
“Swine-flu outbreak could be linked to Smithfield factory farms”, Grist, April 26 2009. Web.
Link

MRSA kills more Americans a year than AIDS:
University of Chicago Medicine MRSA Research Center. Web.
Link

People living near factory farms nearly 3x more likely to be MRSA carriers: “Residential proximity to large numbers of swine in feeding operations is associated with increased risk of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization at time of hospital admission in rural Iowa veterans.” Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol, February 2014. Web.
Link

45% of workers on pig factory farms tested positive for MRSA: “Swine Farming is a Risk Factor for Infection With and High Prevalence of Carriage of Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus” Clin Infect Dis. July 1 2015. Web.
Link

Infected Meat:
“Superbugs Invade America’s Supermarket Meat”, Environmental Working Group, April 15 2013. Web.
Link

Leading Causes of Death:
“Leading Causes of Death”, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.
Link

Heart Disease Vegetarians have a 32% lower risk of death from heart disease: “Vegetarianism can reduce risk of heart disease by up to a third”, University of Oxford, January 30 2013
Link

Diabetes: “Going vegan could prevent type 2 diabetes”
Link

IARC Carcinogenic Classification Groups
UK Cancer Research
Link

People with diets rich in animal products were 4x more likely to die of cancer: “Low protein intake is associated with a major reduction in IGF-1,cancer, and overall mortality in the 65 and younger but not older population”, Cell Metab. , March 4 2014. Web.
Link

Consistent positive association between meat consumption and obesity: “Diets High in Meat Consumption Associated with Obesity”, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, September 3 2009. Web.
Link

Eating 50g of processed meat a day increases the chance of developing colorectal cancer by 18%:
“World Health Organization Says Processed Meat Causes Cancer”, American Cancer Society, October 26 2015. Web.
Link

Doctors catching on: “Nutritional Update for Physicians: Plant-Based Diets”, Perm.J, 2013 Spring. Web.
Link

Incomplete protein myth:
Diet for a Small Planet, by Frances Moore Lappe
Link

Sodium Plumping:
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Link

Countries affected by lactose intolerance: “Lactose intolerance”, Genetics Home Reference, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Web.
Link

Dairy and Acne: ‘Growing evidence suggests possible link between diet and acne’ American Academy of Dermatology. February 8 2013
Link

+ Environmental Impact

One of the most destructive industries:
“The Triple Whopper Environmental Impact of Global Meat Production” Time. December 2013. Web.
Link

Animal Feed:
“Animal Feed” Sustainable Table, GRACE Communications Foundation. Web.
Link

Animals: a really inefficient source of food Feeding the world:
“Redefining agricultural yields: from tonnes to people nourished per hectare”. IOPscience, August 2013. Web.
Link

Deforestation:
“The role of pasture and soybean in deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon”. IOPscience, April 2010. Web.
Link

Percentage of mammals on Earth:
Carrington, Damian. “Humans just 0.01% of all life but have destroyed 83%of wild mammals” study The Guardian, May 2018. Web.
Link

Grass-fed? Think again:
“Grazed and confused? New report gives the lay of the land on grazing livestock’s climate impact”. The Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food. October 2017.
Link

Most GMO crops in the US are fed to animals on factory farms:
Van Eenennaam, Alison L., and Amy E. Young. " Feeding GMO Crops to Livestock - Beef Research New - Beef Issues Quarterly.’ Department of Animal Sciences, University of California, Davis, Mar. 2016. Web.
Link
"Recent Trends in GE Adoption." USDA ERS. N.p., 3 Nov. 2016. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.
"Contribution of GM Technology to the Livestock Sector." ISAAA. N.p., Aug. 2016. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.

Meat production accounts for over ⅓ of all pesticide use:
Steinfeld, Henning, Pierre Gerber, Tom Wassenaar, Vincent Castel, Mauricio Rosales, and Cees De Haan. Livestock's Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options. Publication. Rome: FAO, 2006. Print.

Pesticides are toxic:
Neonicitinoid colony collapse disorder: Dwyer, Marge. "Study Strengthens Link between Neonicotinoids and Collapse of Honey Bee Colonies." Harvard School of Public Health. N.p., 9 May 2014. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
Neonic use on crops fed to livestock: LaJeunesse, Sara. "Rapid Increase in Neonicotinoid Insecticides Driven by Seed Treatments." Penn State University. Penn State University, 2 Apr. 2015. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
Pesticide poisoning in workers: Dearen, Jason. "Why U.S. Farmworkers Keep Getting Poisoned by Pesticides." St. Louis Post Dispatch. N.p., 3 Feb. 2016. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.

Skipping one gallon of milk equal to skipping one month’s worth of showers:
Alex Park and Julia Lurie, “It takes HOW much water to make Greek yogurt??”, Mother Jones March 2014
Link

Milk vs. ‘Milk” Environmental impacts of different types of milk, per liter:
Julia Moskin et al. “Your Questions About Food and Climate Change, Answered” The New York Times, April 2019. Web.
Link

Farm animals in the US produce 100x as much waste as the entire US human population:
Gerba, C. P., & Smith, J. E. (2004). Sources of pathogenic microorganisms and their fate during land application of wastes. Journal of Environmental Quality, 34(1), 42-48. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
Link

Drone Video:
Citizen Drone Project. www.factoryfarmdrones.com Liquified waste is sprayed onto surrounding land:
Manure spraying: "Understanding Manure Irrigation." University of Wisconsin - Extension. N.p., 14 Apr. 2016. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.

Exempt from the Clean Air Act:
“Livestock emissions still up in the air” Chemical and Engineering News, April 2, 2018
Link

Leading cause of water pollution in the U.S.:
“Unified National Strategy for Animal Feeding Operations”, U.S. Department of Agriculture & U.S. Environmental Agency, March 9, 1999
Link

Eutrophication:
“About Eutrophication” World Resources Institute
Link

Gulf of Mexico dead zone is the largest ever recorded:
“Gulf of Mexico ‘dead zone’ is the largest ever measured”, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, August 2, 2017
Link

Meat production makes more greenhouse gases than all the planes, trains, and cars in the world combined:
"Livestock a Major Threat to Environment." Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. N.p., 29 Nov. 2006. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.

Ruminant animals produce methane:
"Monitoring Methane Emissions from Agriculture and Dairy Farming." Environmental Technology. N.p., 2017. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.

More potent than CO2:
"Overview of Greenhouse Gases." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 14 Feb. 2017. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.

Animal waste releases nitrous oxide:
Costa, J. R., C. Li, C. E. Cerri, and C. C. Cerri. "Measuring and Modeling Nitrous Oxide and Methane Emissions from Beef Cattle Feedlot Manure Management: First Assessments under Brazilian Condition." Journal of Environmental Science and Health. Part. B, Pesticides, Food Contaminants, and Agricultural Wastes. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.

More potent than CO2:
"Understanding Global Warming Potentials" EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 14 Feb. 2017. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.
Link

The top 5 meat and dairy companies combined:
“Emissions impossible: How big meat and dairy are heating up the planet”, GRAIN and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), June 28 2018. Web.
Link

The top 20 meat and dairy companies combined:
Shefali Sharma, “Big Meat and Dairy are Heating Up our Planet” Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, July 2018
Link
Link

Substituting beans for beef:
Harwatt H. et al, “Substituting beans for beef as a contribution toward US climate targets” Climatic Change, 2017
Link

If everyone in the US ate no meat or cheese just one day per week, it would be like not driving 91 billion miles, or taking 7.6 million cars off the road:
"Reducing Your Footprint." Reducing Your Footprint - 2011 Meat Eaters Guide | Meat Eater's Guide to Climate Change + Health | Environmental Working Group. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.

Global warming, Food insecurity:
“Feeding 9 Billion” National Geographic, May 2014
Link

+ Solutions

Leaders agree: “Our Nutrient World: The challenge to produce more food and energy with less pollution. Global Overview of Nutrient Management”, United Nations Environment Programme, October 31 and November 1 2018.

Link

Springmann, Marco et al, “Options for keeping the food system within environmental limits” Nature, 2018
Link

Drawdown: top 100 scientific solutions to drawing down carbon emissions Paul Hawken ‘Drawdown. 100 solutions to reverse global warming’
Link

China’s plan to cut meat consumption by 50%: ‘China’s plan to cut meat consumption by 50% cheered by climate campaigners’ The Guardian, June 20 2016. Web.
Link

Meatless Mondays: “The Johns Hopkins Meatless Mondays Project”, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Link

Top Athletes: “Kendrick Farris, The Only Male U.S. Weightlifter in the Olympics, is Totally Vegan”, HuffPost. October 2016.
Link
“This Drastic Diet Change Helped Venus Williams Fight her Autoimmune Condition”. Health. January 2017
Link
“NFL Veganism? David Carter, Griff Whalen have broken the mold”. NFL. September 2016
Link
“Celtics’ Kyrie Irving on the benefits of his vegan diet”. Boston. November 2017.
Link

Save money: “A Vegetarian Diet Can Save You Around $750 Each Year When Compared to a Meat - Eating Diet”. Medical Daily. October 2015. Web.
Link

Eat your vegetables! ‘Fruits and Vegetables: 90% of Americans don’t Eat Enough’ Time. November 17 2017
Link

Plant-based foods: a growing market:
“U.S. Plant Based Foods Industry Tops $5 Billion in Annual Sales”. Plant Based Foods Association. March 2017. Web.
Link
“Dairy Alternative Market is anticipated to cross USD 34 Billion by 2024”. PR Newswire. January 2018. Web.
Link
“Get Ready For A Meatless Meat Explosion, As Big Food Gets On Board”. Fast Company. December 2017. Web.
Link

A growing trend: ‘Vegan in going mainstream, trend data suggest’, Food Navigator Magazine, March 17 2015.Web.
Link
“Power to the Plants: the rise of plant-based eating”, Mintel.Web. Link

The future of food:
‘Biz Stone Explains Why Twitter’s Co-Founders Are Betting Big On A Vegan Meat Startup’ Fast Company, June 13 2012. Web.
Link

Clean Meat:
“Lab-Grown Meat May Save a Lot More than Farm Animals’ Lives”. nbc news. April 2017. Web.
Link

Berkeley Green Monday Resolution: ‘Berkeley passes resolution requiring vegan food to be served once a week at city events, meetings’ abc7 News, September 17 2018. Web.
Link