The term “factory farm” is not used by farmers or anyone in the agriculture industry. Big doesn’t mean bad. The reality is fewer people want to farm and we have a growing population that relies on farmers to produce their food.

What about farms that raise hundreds or thousands of animals?

These farms are referred to as “intensive livestock operations” and they focus on raising, feeding and/or breeding a large number of animals in a defined space. Chickens, pigs and beef cattle are examples of animals that may be raised this way. Whether big or small, farmers care about their animals and the environment we live in. That’s why they follow codes of practice for animal care and follow laws related to human treatment of animals.

Why can’t I visit a pig or chicken barn?

Farmers don’t have anything to hide; they just don’t want their animals to get sick. Many intensive livestock operations have biosecurity measures in place to keep animals healthy and prevent the spread of disease.

See Our PDF to Learn More: DownloadPrint

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Journey 2050 Lesson: 1
This resource is a great addition to Lesson 1 – Sustainable Food and Agriculture

SnapAg:
What are GMOs and are they okay to eat? What does organic farming look like? How are animals like chickens or cattle raised?

snapAG is a series of resources that invite students to explore the hot topics affecting the agriculture industry today. Topics range from organics, biotechnology, GMOs, livestock, and more.

Explore what’s trending in agriculture in Canada by browsing the topics here.

Sources available at: https://aitc-canada.ca/en-ca/learn-about-agriculture

snapAg is brought to you by Agriculture in the Classroom Canada and partners.