President Obama: End factory farming!

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Factory farming is destroying our environment, our communities, animal welfare, and even our health – at an alarming rate. It is critical that we bring an end to factory farming, to restore a more viable food system and preserve our world.

Factory farms have driven small farms out of business and represent the majority of our food system today. The industry has cleared vast areas of forest and rainforest, producing 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions from animal agriculture alone, wasting food and water resources, and polluting our air and water. On factory farms, animals are also induced to grow bigger, to grow faster, and to produce more than their systems can support, while they are subjected to confinement and painful mutilations. Factory farming practices spread diseases, such as mad cow, swine flu, and various food poisonings, including e-coli and salmonella. Extensive antibiotic use by factory farms creates drug resistant bacteria, which puts human health at risk.

For these reasons, the first National Conference to End Factory Farming brought together individuals and organizations representing the animal protection, health and environmental movements to confront factory farming’s common threats. We seek reform, through consumer education, the Farm Bill and local, state and federal policy change. Together, we urge:

• Food policy and nutrition education that reduces consumption of animal products and increases consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole plant foods – minimizing factory farming’s impact and promoting health.

• Sustainable agriculture practices that lessen resource use, pollution and land degradation.

• Elimination of non-therapeutic antibiotics in animal agriculture.

• Eradication of intensive animal confinement, de-toeing, de-beaking, and tail docking.

• Improved regulation of waste disposal affecting rural communities.

Sign the petition to reform our food system!