New report reveals factory farming puts public health and planet at risk
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Our new report lays bare the most damaging human health impacts linked to factory farming. And they will only get worse as demand for meat grows globally.
World Animal Protection’s latest report, The Hidden Health Impacts of Industrial Livestock Systems, exposes how governments around the world are turning a blind eye to the public health toll of factory farming, as well as the suffering of billions of farmed animals.
By 2030, meat consumption is projected to grow 30% in Africa, 18% in the Asia Pacific, 12% in Latin America, 9% in North America and 0.4% in Europe. This skyrocketing demand sees billions of stressed animals mutilated and confined to cramped and barren cages or pens for their whole lives.
Over seventy percent of the 80 billion land animals farmed globally are raised and slaughtered within cruel factory farming systems each year.1
The 5 worst health impacts of factory farming
As demand for meat and dairy grows, factory farming will continue its stranglehold on our food system and health impacts will worsen.
The research builds on the concept of five pathways “through which food systems negatively affect our health”, outlined by the World Health Organization.
We detail how these negative health impacts are directly linked to factory farming. These include:
1. Malnutrition and obesity
Factory farming systems have displaced local and sustainable food production. Land is used to plant crops to feed factory farmed animals, not people, undermining nutrition and food security. At the same time, high volumes of cheap meat produced out of factory farms is equating to excessive meat consumption - one of the four leading risk factors for chronic illness.
2. Superbugs and diseases
75% of the world’s antibiotics are used in farmed animals, either to prevent them getting sick, promote fast growth or treat disease – a practice driving the emergence of superbugs (antimicrobial resistant bacteria), which leaves us less able to fight infections. New research has found that 1.27 million people die each year from superbugs, and it is estimated that by 2050 this will be the leading cause of death globally. On top of this threat, factory farms squash stressed animals into tightly packed sheds, risking disease like swine flu or bird flu that can jump to humans.
3. Foodborne illnesses
Cruel factory farming induces immense stress in animals, leaving them prone to bacteria or parasites that can cause foodborne illness in people, such as Salmonella. An estimated 35% of all foodborne diseases globally are linked to meat, dairy or eggs, which is costing lower income countries billions in USD each year in lost productivity and medical expenses.
4. Illnesses from environmental contamination
Factory farming produces large amounts of animal waste that pollutes our air with roughly 400 different harmful gases. Heavy metals like zinc are added to factory farmed animals’ diets and are excreted, contaminating waterways. This heavy metal contamination of food causes one million illnesses each year.
Pesticides also contaminate our waterways, and more pesticides go to crops destined to feed animals suffering on factory farms than anywhere else. These impacts of air and water pollution are felt most by those living close to factory farms or animal feed production.
5. Physical and mental impacts for workers
Within factory farming systems, physical and mental health impacts suffered by workers include poor working conditions in meat slaughtering, processing and packaging facilities, physical injury and psychosocial and mental health issues.
Lindsay Duncan World Animal Protection farming campaigns manager (UK),
“Confining 70% of the 80 billion land animals farmed globally in cruel factory farms1 is resulting in large profits for companies and huge hidden costs for taxpayers. As we are experiencing a cost of living and NHS funding crisis this should be of particular concern.
“We’re calling on the UK Government to end the routine use of antibiotics on farm animals, as the EU has recently done, and to acknowledge that a reduction in animal product consumption is needed to address the countless issues caused by factory farming.”
Transforming our food system
Systemic shifts are needed to deliver the biggest health gains for our population. Some of those include:
- Re-orientating subsidies away from factory farming towards humane and sustainable practices
- Supporting efforts to significantly reduce meat and dairy production and consumption in countries with high average per person consumption
- Improving affordability of plant-based foods
- Providing transition support for farmers no longer wishing to engage in factory farming
To make these shifts, World Animal Protection is calling for governments around the world to impose a moratorium on factory farms and introduce and enforce higher farmed animal welfare standards.
References
1Sentience Institute. 2019. US Factory Farming Estimates. (accessed 21st October 2021)
A complete list of source references are in the full report.
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Image credits: News listings page: World Animal Protection; News article page Julia Koblitz/Unsplash
Systemic shifts are needed to deliver the biggest health gains for our population.