The Future of Food: Industrial Farming

By Vicky Allen

The Future of Food is a documentary that discusses, among other things, the impact of industrial farming on modern food. Organic farming and farming with the help of GMO's (genetically modified organisms) is gaining ground in the US. Farming has changed all over the world with the technology influenced by the industrial sector. This article will discuss some of the benefits and risks of industrial farming.

Tractors for tilling the land, harvesting machines, machines to sort the produce (Sortex), storage and packing mechanisms are among contributions made by the industrial sector. But, industrial farming does come with its own dose of threats to communities, particularly those that are in the immediate vicinity of the enterprise. While the future of food ought to be a major concern for all of us, the potential threats posed by industrial farming cannot be ignored. Industrial livestock farming can be particularly challenging for the residents closer to the farms.

--> Some of the threats facing residents of areas near industrial livestock farms include the levels of animal waste, improper or inadequate disposal of animal waste, air pollution from vehicles, dead animals, unprocessed animal skin, and other pollutants in the air. Another issue that faces residents and traditional farmers in areas near industrial livestock farms is water pollution. The fact that livestock farming only focuses on one particular area of farming with all of the potential risks is also a factor held against the industry.

Industrial farming is not without its gains either. In the first place, industrial farming benefits from economy of size. Opposed to traditional farming, industrial farming can find large amounts of capital to invest in technology and equipments without the challenges that a traditional farmer will encounter.

The sheer size and the professional outfit will motivate the investors/bankers to pump in large sums of money in anticipation of decent returns. Consumers of the final product/s from industrial farms can expect to enjoy better quality and more realistic prices arising from economy of scale.

Given the conflicting position of industrial farming, it could be up to the policy makers to evolve an environment where the benefits of industrial farming can benefit the future of food without compromising the health and environmental issues of communities around the industrial farms.

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For more information about the documentary The Future of Food and to read about some of the challenges facing modern food production, visit Our Site.