June 14: CAFOs

 CAFOs and Intersectionality

Issues with Factory Farms and the Nuances of Stopping Them

Today we discussed CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) and got into groups to think about whether or not CAFOs are necessary. Our group was assigned to discuss why it would be beneficial to get rid of CAFOs, and we talked about a few key points.

First, we brought up the point of animal cruelty. These operations are very inhumane on behalf of the animals being farmed. We agreed that smaller farms could treat animals better; however, it would also make meat widely less available and more expensive. Another point that was brought up was that getting rid of CAFOs could build community and spread awareness about real rood. This would be an effect because smaller operations require more interaction with the farms, so if the farms were local, people would engage more with members of their community. It would also allow people to have more insight into how meat processing works, which would be beneficial since most people are far removed from their food sources. Finally, we discussed that it would be safer for communities if CAFOs were disbanded because the waste from animals can pollute water sources and create resistant diseases.