"[T]he surrounding community deteriorates, the local economy stagnates, property values plummet, and the oppressive odor permeates everything..."
This article is titled Public Health by sustainabletable.org and it talks about the consequences of factory farms that raise livestock. When factory farms are introduced to rural communities the obvious issues of community detonations, economic stagnation, and plummeting property values are brought to light. One issue that is not entirely obvious at first is the hazard to human health and safety. The hazards brought on by factory farms are so large that the American Public Health Association (APHA) issued a resolution regarding these farms. The three consequences and health hazards brought on by these farms that are discussed in this article are antibiotic resistance, water pollution, and air pollution.
ANTBIOTIC RESISTANCE
The environment that these farms raise their livestock often stresses the animals making them prone to sickness. To combat this, farms began to introduce antibiotics into animal feed rather than improving the animals' environment and quality of life. As a consequence of the introduction of antibiotics is the evolution of antibiotic resistance bacteria. These bacterial species are easily and directly spread from humans to animals. It is especially easy when manure is used to fertilize ground. The antibiotic resistant bacteria can then infect water ways and ground water. As antibiotic resistant bacteria spread, the effect of medicine to combat them is less. In turn, the cost of health care increases.
WATER POLLUTION
Like mentioned before, factory farms are responsible for polluting surface and ground water. This pollution is a threat to public health. Infected water could contain nitrate which causes infants to develop methmoglobinemia cause decrease carrying capacity of oxygen. Multiple conditions can affect adults. Water can also contain pathogens with are harmful microorganisms that cause disease. E. coli and Salmonella are examples of these types of organisms. The most vulnerable populations are children and elderly persons. Pathogens can remain in manure, soil, and water for weeks and thus are ongoing threats to public health.
AIR POLLUTION
Factor farms emit hydrogen sulfide which is the most dangerous emitted by factory farms. Even low concentrations can cause health problems. Long term to low levels of exposure are associated with anosmia--inability to detect odors. Hydrogen sulfide can also affect balance, visual performance, color discrimination, hearing, memory, mood, and intellectual function. Factory farms also pollute the air with ammonia which is readily absorbed in upper airways. Individuals can develop severe cough and mucus production. Airways can also become scarred.
I know the article is not about "urban farming" but factory farming is still apart of the food system; the factory farm is the producer and the people in grocery stores are the consumer. Similar to produce, livestock been affected by economic ambitions of corporations. Large scale livestock farming produce a number detrimental consequences especially towards public health. This article depicts very clearly these issues and cites many sources for its research.
I think this article is very relevant to what our class is doing because it is a commentary on the consequences of prioritizing economic gain over health. Our agriculture project aims to educate and develop on urban agriculture site as it relates to the immediate local community. The benefits are social (building community relationship especially between the producer and consumer), economic, and educational (sustainable methods and about food system).
As a society, would should find a responsible way and provide alternatives to factory farming just as urban agriculture sites act as alternatives to industrial farming. We all should have a social responsibility to one another and thus should actively seek to find solutions to hazards of public health.
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