Agricultural practices have changed dramatically over the last century. The introduction of machinery, genetic modification, growth hormones, pesticides and the push to make more food, more efficiently, has caused the once nostalgic and cultivative practice of agriculture into one that is industrialized, destructive, and unnatural. The United States and the European Union have both become highly industrialized, the United States to a much larger degree. This has lead to a philosophical dilemma in the United States. Here, the effect of this industrialization is animal injustice because animals used for agricultural purposes have no rights. Consumers do not know what they are buying due to vague labeling. The use of pesticides, growth hormones, and genetically modified organisms has skyrocketed. In the European Union, the said agricultural advancements were rapid but have been restricted. Animals in the European Union have 5 freedoms. Manufacturers must follow strict laws in food labeling. The European Union is much slower to approve GMO products. Farming practices in the United States are dishonest and elusive. In the European Union, the practices are not always moral, but they are more transparent. The United States should follow the European Union’s lead in agriculture practices by enforcing laws that keep agricultural honest and fair for the animals, environment, and people.
Modern philosophies of agriculture are focused on the end result: the time it takes to get there, how the product looks, how much crop is yielded, rather than the ethics of the process, or the quality of the end result. The result of this is a surge in GMO crops and animal feed, factory farming, growth hormones, agricultural machinery, and farming that is destructive to the land and natural diversity(Kumar).The effects of these advancements are not necessarily bad. The effect of mechanized agriculture was a 300% increase in agricultural output in America from 1910-1990(Paarlberg). Between 1950 and 1980, the proportion of agricultural workers in America who possessed high school diplomas quadrupled. Additionally, between the 19th and 20th centuries, the percentage of Americans employed in Agriculture dropped from 50% to 3%, and nearly identical statistics occurred in Germany in Denmark(Paarlberg). The people employed in agriculture moved to industrial jobs(Paarlberg). A society that is adequately fed, educated, and moving forward industrially is overall better than one that is malnourished, uneducated, and technologically backward. However, the effects of these agricultural changes cause us to encounter various ethical dilemmas.
Perhaps the most currently hotly debated subject in agriculture is genetically modified organisms. On the positive side, GMO seeds are resistant to pests. Farmers are thus able to yield more crop each harvest—food that is more pleasing the the eye and that lasts longer on the shelf. Some scientists are saying this is one avenue to combat malnutrition(Jamil). On an environmental note, pest resistant crops leads to less spraying, less air and ground water pollution, and less harm to other helpful, wanted species like bees(Paarlberg). But there is also overwhelming research that suggests GMOs do more harm than good. The products of Genetically Modified seeds have been found to be less nutritious than their non GMO counterparts. Perhaps even scarier, they can result in a decrease of biodiversity of crops and permanent contamination of gene pools(Smith).
Another subject of agriculture is the discussion over growth hormones used on livestock to make them grow bigger or produce more milk. Some suspect the earlier onset of puberty in girls is caused by growth hormones in milk. Many fear the growth hormone given to cows may cause an increase in the IGF hormone, which could mimic the human growth hormone in harmful ways, or even contribute to cancerous tumor development in the breast or prostate(Group). Other researchers have found these problems to be completely unfounded or the amounts of hormone exposed to humans to be not dangerous(Storrs). Still, some romantics dislike the idea of growth hormones and hold on the the ideal of pure food untouched by modern science.
The treatment of domesticated farm animals is also a widely disputed topic. While some doubt the obligations humans have to the well beings of farm animals, modern farming has reduced the treatment of farm animals to little better than that of a plant. Farmers are free to raise animals, such as chickens, in their own feces, never to leave a cage until the destination is the chopping block. Like the other dilemmas, most aren’t aware of this animal injustice.
Each of the discussed aspects of agriculture hotly debated and it is nearly impossible to persuade everyone of one moral method or idea, but what can and should be done is a fight to know the truth about what we consume. The EU has an extensive list of rules for what must be stated on food labels such as the list of engineered nanomaterials, allergens, origin of fresh meat, and origin of vegetable for refined oils and fats(Europa). In the US, manufacturers are only forced to give nutrition facts and a list ingredients. Consumers are left in the dark. In order for any agricultural practice to be honest and ethical, the food must be transparent to the processes of growth and handling. A sure way to make this happen is for the government to demand honesty. Regarding animal welfare, in Europe, animals have five freedoms including freedom from hunger thirst and pain. America has the Animal Welfare Act of 1966 which specifically excludes animals raised for agricultural purposes(Paarlberg). Europe has already taken steps toward ethical and honest agriculture and the US should follow.
Not every farmer should be unfairly categorized in the bulk of unethical farming practices. Small groups in opposition to industrialized agriculture have started organizations that support food that is sustainable for the environment(Slow Food USA, Slow Food Movement). Other individuals fiercely support the anti GMO or anti pesticide cause. Additionally, some just prefer the old fashioned way. Groups such as these are essential to not only agriculture that is ethical and honest in practice, but also for setting an example to the direction we should be heading.