Who Benefits From Factory Farming?

Those who benefit most from factory farming are the executives of multinational corporations responsible for the spread of CAFOs worldwide. Tyson Foods’ top six executives earned a combined 38 million dollars in 2019 alone, with CEO Noel W. White banking a 10 million salary. Meanwhile, many workers in their facilities are paid minimum wage or not much higher, and remain largely unionized. David W. MacLennan, CEO of factory farming giant Cargill, apparently doesn’t see any issue with using prison labor for their products, while he continues to enjoy a cushy salary.

 

Why Should You Care If Your Food Comes From A Factory Farm?

If you live in the United States and you eat any animal products at all—eggs, cheese, butter, fish, chicken, and more—it is sadly guaranteed that you are eating products from a factory farm. Not only are these operations perpetrators of the ruel and unethical treatment of animals, they are unfair and harmful towards their own employees and their communities, as well. As CAFOs increasingly dominate the agricultural landscape, trends have been observed linking factory farms to the economic and social decline of surrounding communities, including an increase of poverty and economic inequality. Farm workers endure dangerous working conditions, including those associated with regular exposure to hazardous, toxic chemicals. Those who work in meatpacking facilities, including slaughterhouses, endure some of the most dangerous working conditions of any sector in the country.

 

Factory farming has a negative impact on everyone except the industry’s top executives. Here are some further examples of why animal products from these environments should be avoided wherever possible and replaced with a healthier plant-based diet.