In the Netherlands and perhaps in other Western agricultural
countries also there's a Babylonic confusion of tongues
between farmers, consumers and the government. It's
naive to believe they mind, because the victims (people
from the Third World Countries, the environment, the
animals) have little representatives that participate
in the conversation. All parties get too much out of
the current situation to really confront each other
with the truth. Everybody pushes the arguments forward
that are to their own advantage and it's seldom heard
that one opposes someone else. How the conversation
about the different aspects of intensive agriculture often
goes is being described below. |
It's striking that during the discussion of the problems in the intensive
agriculture, nobody mentions the export of animal products.
70% of this is being exported from the Netherlands,
and those in favour and against seem not willing to
see that this is the pillar of factory farming. France
and the United States are countries with high figures
of animal export too.
Stress, depression, the feeling of being misunderstood,
these are the feelings of many farmers after the abolition
caused by foot-and-mouth disease. The abolition would
be superfluous if Holland wouldn't produce for foreign
markets. In case of diseases the cattle can simply be
vaccinated and sold on the internal national markets. |
Below, we present for each
subject (on the left) the way a lot of farmers, consumers
and think about it, directly followed by the things they
forget to mention.
In the headings with the subjects are links to background
information on our site, for example the heading 'animal
wellbeing' links to an enumeration of the 5 (minimal
rights to) freedoms that an animal in factory farming
officially has.
If you're looking for objections, check out the deceptive
arguments. |
Subjects
Animal Wellbeing
Factory Farming
Meat and dairy prices
Environment
Nature
Manure balance
Foot-and-mouth disease
Livestock
Development and growth
Food
Land-bound Farming |
|
Subject |
|
Animal
Wellbeing |
| How do many farmers think? |
|
If I take care of (clean) food
and water, I am doing enough for animal wellbeing. |
| What do they
forget to mention? |
|
I don't want to
spend money to take care of the natural behaviour
of animals. An animal has to cost as little
as possible and should be slaughtered as soon
as possible. |
| How do many consumers
think? |
|
Factory farming is
pitiful for animals, they haven't got enough
room and have no possibility to act to their
nature. |
| What do they forget to mention? |
|
I don't want to spend my money
on animal wellbeing, I do want to spend it
on my own health. |
| How do many officials
think? |
|
Anything goes as
long as it doesn't lead to an overt assault
on wellbeing. |
| What do they forget to mention? |
|
We can not prove or check all
that's an assault on wellbeing and what's
not. |
|
|
Subject |
|
Factory
Farming |
| How do many farmers think? |
|
We are doing well: Holland isn't
wasting very much farming ground, the manure
is handled easier in a emission free stable
and the sale is bigger. |
| What do they
forget to mention? |
|
Animal wellbeing,
the environment and the people in the Third
World have little benefits. |
| How do many consumers
think? |
|
Factory farming
has to go. |
| What do they
forget to mention? |
|
I don't want to
pay the prize. |
| How do many officials
think? |
|
Factory farming
has no future. |
| What do they forget
to mention? |
|
We do not support
alternatives. |
|
|
Subject |
|
Meat
and Dairy Prices |
| How do many farmers
think? |
|
The higher the price,
the higher the income. |
| What do they
forget to mention? |
|
The higher the price,
the lower the sale abroad. |
| How do many consumers
think? |
|
The lower the price,
the better. |
| What do they forget to mention? |
|
If meat would be more expensive,
I'd still buy it. |
| How do many officials
think? |
|
The lower the costs,
the better we can compete with foreign countries. |
| What do they
forget to mention? |
|
In foreign countries
people are forced to stop or to also get into
factory farming. |
|
|
Subject |
|
Environment |
| How do many farmers think? |
|
As long as the vegetation around
me grows, there's nothing to worry about. |
| What do they
forget to mention? |
|
The biodiversity
of vegetation in nature decreases. |
| How do many consumers
think? |
|
A clean environment
means that land and water appear clean. |
| What do they
forget to mention? |
|
It's kind of boring:
the bleak meadow and the straight canals and
streets. |
| How do many officials
think? |
|
Environmental regulations
shouldn not impede the producer too much. |
| What do they forget to mention? |
|
The taxpayer is paying for the
disadvantages of pollution while the polluter
isn't paying anything. |
|
|
Subject |
|
Nature |
| How do many farmers think? |
|
The trees and forests have never
been this green before. |
| What do they
forget to mention? |
|
Rare species have
disappeared, just that part of nature that
is manure-insensitive stays existent. |
| How do many consumers
think? |
|
I cannot discriminate
between nature today and in the past. |
| What do they forget to mention? |
|
I don't know what's missing,
I don't know anything about rare plants or
birds, I never see them, I've never learn
to enjoy that. |
| How do many officials
think? |
|
We protect areas
with a high natural value. |
| What do they forget to mention? |
|
Outside of the rare elements
of nature, we don't care about nature. |
|
|
Subject |
|
Manure
Balance |
| How do many farmers think? |
|
As long as my animals don't
put it directly on the land, the balance can
be technically solved. |
| What do they
forget to mention? |
|
I have to keep my
animals inside most of the time that way. |
| How do many consumers
think? |
|
Polution by manure
shouldn't make our drinking water more expensive. |
| What do they forget
to mention? |
|
I believe lots of
manure is good for farming. |
| How do many officials
think? |
|
Through demands
on manure production, we work on a sound agriculture. |
| What do they forget to mention? |
|
Reduction of manure production
will not better animal wellbeing, reduction
of livestock will. |
|
|
Subject |
|
Foot-and-mouth
disease |
| How do many farmers think? |
|
If my animals are vaccinated
against foot-and-mouth disease, my farm doesn't
have to be cleaned out. |
| What do they
forget to mention? |
|
I don't like it
when all of my cattle are killed, because
I want to breed with the most productive animals. |
| How do many consumers
think? |
|
Killing animals with
company abolition is a dismal for both farmers
and animals. |
| What do they forget to mention? |
|
I don't want to think about
killing animals a while later to eat them. |
| How do many officials
think? |
|
Stamping out (killing
all cattle around a foot-and-mouth-contamination
spot) is cheaper than vaccination. |
| What do they forget to mention? |
|
If we vaccinate against foot-and-mouth
disease, we can't export the meat anymore. |
|
|
Subject |
|
Livestock |
| How do many farmers
think? |
|
If others give in,
I get to keep more animals. |
| What do they forget
to mention? |
|
I just want to go
on as a farmer, whatever it takes. |
| How do many consumers
think? |
|
The more animals,
the better the export position. |
| What do they forget
to mention? |
|
I only care for rare
animals, I don't want to think about at the
situation of the individual animal in a crowded
stable. |
| How do many officials
think? |
|
Livestock has to
shrink. |
| What do they forget to mention? |
|
We only shrink because the foreign
countries tell us to stop producing so much
manure (European Union agreement). |
|
|
Subject |
|
Development
and Growth |
| How do many farmers think? |
|
I want my farm to grow, and
I call that development. |
| What do they forget
to mention? |
|
I don't care if it
will hurt other farmers, the environment or
animals. |
| How do many consumers
think? |
|
Farmers must have
the opportunity to get rich. |
| What do they forget
to mention? |
|
I don't care how
farmers try to get rich. |
| How do many officials
think? |
|
Bigger companies
are regulated more easily. |
| What do they forget to mention? |
|
While focusing on the growth
in intensive agriculture, the government loses
sight of other relevant objectives. |
|
|
Subject |
|
Food |
| How do many farmers think? |
|
Meat and dairy are needed, because
they are bought by consumers. |
| What do they
forget to mention? |
|
The production of
meat that comes from factory farms decreases
the global availability of food. |
| How do many consumers
think? |
|
I want healthy,
cheap and easy meat and dairy, plus a clean
conscience. |
| What do they
forget to mention? |
|
I know it isn't
right, but I'm not willing to look for alternatives
and change my behaviour. |
| How do many officials
think? |
|
The export of food
gets the treasure chest slogans. |
| What do they forget to mention? |
|
Foreign countries, animals and
the environment pay the price. |
|
|
Subject |
|
Land-bound
farming |
| How do many farmers think? |
|
As long as I can get rid of
my manure, my company is land-bound. |
| What do they
forget to mention? |
|
Being land-bound
means growing food for cattle yourself, instead
of importing. |
| How do many consumers
think? |
|
As long as farmers
are not forced to emigrate. |
| What do they
forget to mention? |
|
I don't know what
land-bound means, let alone that I know why
it is so important. |
| How do many officials
think? |
|
Every farmer must
produce land-bound. |
| What do they forget to mention? |
|
The rules and checks are limited
to the manure-demand. |
|
