Module 4: Animal Food Production Flashcards
Define industrial food animal production (IFAP)
AKA concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOS)- in Canada as intensive livestock operations (ILOS)
approach to meat, dairy, egg production characterized by specialized operations designed for high rate production, large numbers of animals confined at high density, large quantities of localized animal waste, and substantial inputs of financial capital, fossil fuel, feed, pharmaceuticals, and indirect inputs embodied in feed
higher productivity leads to…?
greater availability and affordability of meat
Why was the IFAP economically successful?
government support, which over the years included subsidies for feed crops, “weak enforcement of environmental regulations by federal and state agencies, tax incentives, research investments, and expanded infrastructure” (Kim et al., 2015, p. 291).
What are the external costs associated with IFAPs?
public health, rural communities, environmental impacts, and animal welfare
define specialization
process that “aims to increase efficiency by narrowing the range of tasks and roles involved in production”
Define mechanization
substitution of farming tasks by machines, including, for example, “milking machines, mechanized waste-handling equipment, automated feeders, and computerized monitoring machines” (Kim et al., 2015, p. 294)
Define market concentration
extent to which market shares in an industry are owned by a small number of companies” (Kim et al., 2015, p. 298)
What is horizontal integration?
when companies take over or merge with other companies competing in the same enterprise” (Kim et al., 2015, p. 294). T
What is vertical integration?
the merging of two or more businesses involved in different stages of the supply chain for the same products” (Kim et al.)
vertical integration enables the control of an entire chain of production, processing, even distribution by a few larger companies
What are the characteristics of industrial food production?
- specialization
- market concentration
- consolidation
- geography of production
- waste generation and management of IFAPS
What is consolidation?
shift toward toward fewer and larger farmers- farmers are pressured to get bigger or get out
what is an important thing to recognize about consolidation?
its a global phenomenon, occurs at every component of the food supply chain from production to retailers
What is the geography of production?
concentration of similar farming/ processing operations in certain favorable areas
What are the advantages of concentrating in areas for food production?
access to inputs, natural resources, labor, markets to even regulations
What are lagoons?
pools of animal waste and carcasses containing chemicals and bacteria that contaminates water (disgosting)
How does antibiotics impact healthy animals?
lower doses allowed them to gain weight faster on less feed
Where can superbugs survive?
they can survive feces or urine of animals ; in contaminated manure to fertilize crop production and water; in the meat itself
What would be the impacts of banning antibiotics use in animals?
increase space for animals, better living conditions for them; fewer animals being produced-> higher prices for meat
What are examples of airborne hazards?
ammonia, hydrogen sulfite, animal waste
what are examples of airborne particulates?
dried feces, animal dander, fungus, bacteria
IFAP facilities often hire…?
new immigrants, temporary workers, undocumented immigrants who are less empowered to complain about working conditions
what is viral assortment/antigenic shift?
process where human and animal strains exchange genetic material and create new viruses, smh
What are the community impacts of IFAPs?
workers get sick and contaminate family/community-> impact land value; conflict between community and food industry and allies
What are the challenges to fishing and aquaculture?
most seafood consumed worldwide comes from wild capture fisheries
- 30% overfished
-60% fully fished
- under 10% is underexploited
What is a critique of IFAPs in regards to animal welfare?
treatment of food animals- as commodities; different from husbandry relations that used to occur
