Food is one of the basic necessities of any human being and is an essential item we need every day. Therefore, the food industry is one of the biggest businesses in the world and is only getting bigger. Food industries such as restaurants, fast food restaurants, and cafeterias are globally used to feed the public. But there are issues with the food industry. Food industries use factories and other methods to produce their products. There are several problems with this fact. The machinery they use produces toxic emissions that harm our environment, the chemicals they use to fertilize and kill pesticides can also be toxic and harmful to the human body, the way they treat their animals is abusive and inhumane, and the product they are selling is unhealthy and can cause serious health issues. The consumption of animal products needs to go down because it is bad for the environment, animal cruelty has gone too far, and animal products are overall bad for your health.

One of the main things the food industry influences is the environment and not in a positive way. “Harvesting the crop represents a significant amount of nutrients, water, and energy being taken from the land. This leaves the land barren, and unfriendly for the growth and development of new organisms and ecosystems. This is especially true of land used for industrial monoculture farms.” () First, before food production even begins, natural habitats and ecosystems are destroyed to provide space for agriculture. Habitat loss is the leading cause of the decrease in the population of animal species, and in some cases may lead to extinction. When trees are cut down to make space for farmland, the wildlife in that area must relocate to find new homes. Deforestation is one of the biggest contributors to climate change, as forests provide the means to remove carbon emissions, as well as greenhouse gases, from the atmosphere. Once the area is cleared of unwanted vegetation, the soil is primed to grow substantial amounts of food. The soil is primed by using artificial herbicides and fertilizers. Herbicides are used to prevent unwanted plants that would ‘steal’ nutrients from the crop. Fertilizers are used to increase the number of nutrients in the soil and help produce better crops for the farmers to harvest. Herbicides, fertilizers, and artificial pesticides are all used for the plant's benefit and help maximize the harvest while preventing competition from other plants. The use of these chemicals is harmful to the environment for two reasons. The first reason is that these chemicals can be toxic when organisms are exposed to high concentrations. When these foods are being consumed in high amounts, it is difficult for our bodies to process and could lead to health impacts through bioaccumulation. Application of these chemicals onto crops can cause them to be released into the atmosphere which gets collected; when it rains, those pollutions get absorbed into the tissues of simple organisms. These simple organisms are eaten by larger animals further up the food chain, but instead of getting destroyed in the digestive system, these chemicals get accumulated inside the bodies of the animals. Through this process, known as ‘bio-accumulation,’ these chemicals can grow to potentially toxic concentrations. These toxic concentrations at this point are harmful to the health of the ecosystem, by causing genetic damage or killing important populations. So, it is not only disastrous for the environment to be using harmful chemicals on crops and plants, but it can also affect our ecosystems negatively.

The second reason that using artificial fertilizers and pesticides is harmful to the environment is that they are energy-intensive to produce, and thus are using cheap fossil foils which is also poor for the environment. “As fossil fuels emit greenhouse gases, the production of these chemicals helps contribute to climate change, a major factor for the long-term sustainability of food production” () These fossil fuels are used in conventional agriculture, like tractors, graders, and combined. These machines emit air pollutants that contribute to climate change and impact the health of individuals worldwide. Farming also contributes to the amount of methane (a major greenhouse gas) released into the atmosphere from the production of livestock animals. When animals eat, their digestive tracts produce methane gas. Farm animals consume copious quantities of food daily, producing a lot of methane gas and solid waste. Cows produce around thirty-five kilograms of manure each day, and if a farmer has over a hundred cows, then that herd will produce 1.23 million kilograms of manure in a year. While tiny amounts of manure are good for fertilization, this amount will only produce more waste and serves to pollute the air, water, and land. In addition to all the food livestock animals eat over their lifetime, they also require vast amounts of water. It may not seem obvious, but our water supply is limited and with climate change expected to enhance drought conditions, conserving water is more important than ever before. Conventional agriculture is a severe problem for the environment and ecosystems. Farmers produce toxic concentrations that endanger animals, livestock produce methane gas which harms the environment and consume huge quantities of the earth’s water, and machines that use fossil fuels emit air pollutants that can harm individuals’ health far away from the site of food production. Food production is overall bad for the environment and causes climate change and we need to act before it is too late.

            Factory farming is one of the leading causes of animal abuse in the United States. “According to the United Nations, the number of industrial livestock sent to slaughter each year is equivalent to eight times the human population on planet Earth.” () Farmers are looking more at the efficiency of the factory itself than the welfare of the livestock that is in their possession. These silent animals are bred to maximize production and generate foods like meat, milk, and eggs. All this food is to help supply and sustain the public demand, but this sustainability comes with a cost: the abuse and torture of livestock animals whose lives are short, and some animals don’t even get to see a single blade of grass their entire lives. The interior of the buildings that hold the animals looks like something out of a nightmare. The livestock is built into machines and goes through unimaginable pain and suffering from the day they are born. Pigs, cows, and ducks all have cages so small they can’t even turn around. This is considered standard and acceptable to the industry. Pigs are one of the smartest animals in the world, alongside dolphins, ravens, and chimpanzees, but every pig on the planet is confined and left abused by the farmers that own them. The animals that are born incapable of supplying what they are intended to give to the farmers, either because that animal was not fully developed when the mother was pregnant or was not given the proper veterinary care, are cast aside, and thrown away like a piece of garbage, not even experiencing the slightest gesture of compassion. Not a single penny will go towards these animals’ veterinary care; the meat industry prefers them dead.

            Dairy production is responsible for one of the cruelest production cycles that exist: the female cows are artificially inseminated, they are separated from their calves at birth, and their milk is stolen which is intended for their young. When the female cow stops producing milk, they have inseminated again and then the process continues again. The cycle continues. The young male calves are taken at an early age and will never see their mother; they will only live up to 16 weeks before being taken to the slaughterhouse to be used for veal. The female calves on the other hand will be raised for the next generation of dairy cows. How can we stop such vile injustices and abuse? Well, there are two things that we can do. The first is bringing awareness to the situation and showing those around you what is happening on factory farms and the way they treat their animals. So many people are oblivious to the fact that farm animals are being mistreated and abused by their owners, just so they can make a living. The second is by cutting your meat consumption down. The average American eats 4.8 ounces of meat per day but cutting it down by at least an ounce will make a significant impact. By doing this, you will improve your health and decrease the number of livestock kills per year. Also, another great reason for cutting meat consumption is the amount of methane gas produced into the atmosphere is also cut down and we are saving our environment and preventing climate change.

            An amazing reason to cut meat consumption is your health. Meat and other animal products can lead to serious health issues; this has been proven repeatedly by science. “…the more meat we eat, the higher our risk of diabetes, heart disease, and strokes. Conversely, the more fruits and vegetables we eat, the lower our risk for these diseases, and the lower our body mass index.” (Tello) Research shows that red meat and processed meat are metabolized toxins that damage our blood cells and other organs. This attack on our cells has been linked to heart disease and diabetes. But it is not all bad for the human body. It has also been proven that eating meat occasionally can provide some health benefits like protein and iron can improve bone function. When people consume an excessive amount of meat is when it becomes a problem for people’s health. Should we become vegan or vegetarian? Not necessarily. While these diets can be beneficial and improve your health, there are plenty of non-animal foods that are unhealthy for you. For example, candy and soda to name a few. These things are packed with sugar and can also be a problem when used excessively. A better approach would be a plant-based diet, which means mostly consuming fruits and vegetables. A plant-based diet is considered to be one of the healthiest diets, lowering the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and death from any cause. Over 90% of the population of the United States is omnivorous, and most will not give up their meat willingly. But they don’t have to. Just cutting 3% of their animal protein and replacing it with plant protein can lower the risk of death from any cause by 19%. Not only that, but by eating more fruits and vegetables we can protect our bodies when we do occasionally eat meat. Fruits and vegetables contain nutrients that neutralize toxins. These are antioxidants, which cannot be isolated and packed into a capsule or pill. Just by eating more fruits and vegetables you can lower the risk of health issues and be doing your body a huge favor. Some might ask, where will I get my protein? Protein doesn’t just come from meat. Plants are also a major source of protein. Beans, lentils, peas, nuts, and seeds are all great sources of protein. While animal protein is great for building muscle, plant protein is a healthier option.

            The food industry is overall bad for the planet. The factories they use produce emissions that are harmful to the environment and thus, providing more help to climate change. The way the food industry treats its animals is abusive, inhumane, and selfish. They are only looking at the financial incentive. And the products they produce are unhealthy and can lead to serious health issues. The consumption of animal products needs to go down because it is bad for the environment, animal cruelty has gone too far, and animal products are overall bad for your health. The food industry is only going to get bigger because the population is growing at an alarming rate, but if we act now, we can not only save our planet from the effects of climate change, but also stop animal abuse, and improve our health drastically.