Intensive animal farming

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Intensive animal farming, industrial livestock production, and macro-farms,^[1] also known as factory farming,^[2] is a type of intensive agriculture, specifically an approach to animal husbandry designed to maximize production while minimizing costs.^[3] To achieve this, agribusinesses keep livestock such as cattle, poultry, and fish at high stocking densities, at large scale, and using modern machinery, biotechnology, and global trade.^{[4][5][6][7][8]} The main products of this industry are meat, milk and eggs for human consumption.^[9]

There is a continuing debate over the benefits, risks and ethics of intensive animal farming.^[10] The issues include animal welfare, the efficiency of food production, health risks and the environmental impact (e.g. agricultural pollution and climate change).^[11][12][13] There are also concerns as to whether intensive animal farming is sustainable in the long-run, given its costs in resources.^[14] Intensive animal farming is more controversial than local farming and meat consumption in general.^[15][16] Advocates of factory farming claim that factory farming has led to the betterment of housing, nutrition, and disease control over the last twenty years.^[17] It has been shown that factory farming harms wildlife, the environment,^[18] creates health risks,^[24] abuses animals,^[25][26][27] exploits workers (in particular undocumented workers),^[28] and raises very severe ethical issues.^[29][30]