IATP Hog Report - Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

Section 6
Population density inside factory farm buildings causes disease to spread
rapidly in the herd. In intensive production areas, diseases can be spread to
farms along the way when diseased animals are transported. For example,
in The Netherlands, where there are nearly as many pigs as people, it is
not uncommon to see signs along highways warning animal transport
vehicles that traveling through a particular area or community is
forbidden, especially when a disease outbreak has been reported.
Industrial rearing of farm animals has resulted in loss of individual fitness
and genetic diversity; 14 increased incidence of environmentally-induced
animal illnesses, diseases, and injuries; increased frequency of abnormal
behaviors indicative of severe mental distress; and excessive death
losses. 61-66 And, as expressed in 1987 by Christine Stevens, President of
the Animal Welfare Institute, industrialized farming has "taken the joy out
of the lives of millions of calves and pigs, and billions of hens." 67
Obviously, in biological and ecological terms, there are great
inefficiencies in the industrialized hog production model and its
manifestations with respect to disease and death losses. In 1999, it was
estimated that 48 hogs an hour, or 420,000 market hogs a year, were dying
prematurely on premises at Seaboard Corporation's hog factories. 68
So, with all the problems of industrialized agriculture, why do the
industry, government, and land grant universities continue to cling to this
model? The economies of space that factory farms gain by crowding and
immobilizing farm animals are among the most significant economies
contributing to the industrialization of livestock farming. They enable nonfarmers
to engage in and dominate pork production without paying the full
costs of production. To be economical, highly capitalized factory farms
rely on a high volume of market hogs and low gross profit margins per
hog sold. 69 To lower costs per unit of investment, factory farms have a
strong incentive to enclose the highest population of animals physically
possible in their buildings.
Little value is placed on the individual animal in high population herds.
Economies of space and labor per unit of capital make up for losses of
individuals. 70 The use of antibiotics at subtherapeutic levels helps to
suppress diseases that otherwise would be facilitated by crowding and
stress. Growth promoting effects of antibiotics are used to make up for
insufficiencies in the animals' environment. Regarding the high level of
stocking in animal factories, Ruth Harrison quoted the Farmer and
Stockbreeder Journal of January 22, 1963: 71
A few pigs have died from unexplained reasons, which
might be due to the stress conditions associated with high
http://www.iatp.org/hogreport/sec6.html (12 of 30)2/27/2006 3:50:16 AM