Breaking news: farms are going extinct. Unfortunately, farms with red barns, grazing animals and big green pastures are being edged out by industrial agriculture. We now have factory farms that serve in overproducing meat for profit by subjecting animals to horrific and unimaginable tortures.

According to Farm Sanctuary, an organization that provides a safe home for previously-abused farm animals, factory farms “[employ] abusive practices that maximize agribusiness profits at the expense of the environment, our communities, animal welfare, and even our health.” They impact us in all sectors of life, but we don’t realize it because America has created a culture that glorifies meat.

However, people might not put so much emphasis on this product if they knew that the animals used to make their burgers, hot dogs and chicken nuggets are abused. As mentioned before, agribusinesses prioritize power and profit over quality of production. Everyday pigs have to endure teeth-clipping or tail-docking without anesthetics, male chicks are ground up alive because they can’t produce eggs and calves are separated from their mothers just minutes after birth, preventing them from being able to socially and mentally develop properly.

How are we allowing this? And why don’t enough people know about this issue? Food is necessary for our survival, so shouldn’t we be more concerned about what we’re consuming and how it was made?

As humans, it should be our responsibility to make sure that food is ethically grown and raised. Our lack of awareness of America’s current food system has contributed to the on-going animal abuse in factory farms. Therefore, it is up to us to change the way we process food.

So, how can you take action? One of the most impactful things you can do is change your diet, specifically to vegetarianism or veganism. With these diets, you won’t be eating meat (or consuming dairy for vegans), which causes agribusinesses to lose profit.

However, we know that diet changes can be hard, so you can opt for buying meat that’s pasture-raised and grass fed. These meats most likely come from local farms, which treat animals with the respect they deserve.

You can also support organizations like Farm Sanctuary and other nonprofits that provide homes for previously abused animals and work to take down factory farms. There is a lot you can do, so take action now.

-Summer deVera ’18