What is bad about agriculture?

Answer 1

Ninety-eight percent of the North American population is so dependent on it--without even realizing it--that it takes away their ability and knowledge of how to grow and gather their own food for themselves.

There are environmental concerns about runoff of fertilizers and pesticides into bodies of water which would affect wetland ecosystems and encourage algae bloom when the right conditions present themselves, which in turn pose a threat to human health.

Those in agriculture are slow to change or do not have a strong enough voice against environmental or animal extremist groups when pitted against such powerful money-driven forces. This is the reason for many of the 98% of the population to easily be swayed by these groups and gain a level of misunderstanding and misinformation to the point where it is phenomenal. Many people within this 98% of the population are at least two to three generations removed from their ancestors who actively farmed. Many people within this sector have never seen any sort of livestock or plant related to agriculture in real-life. As such they have no understanding and practically no knowledge of what really goes on in agriculture. These animal and environmental extremist groups see this as a huge weakness and take advantage of it, essentially brain-washing this part of the population into believing in half-truths and something which it is not. These extremist groups have the advertising and financial power that agriculture lacks; agriculture is much more focused on producing food for society, not winning hearts over to make them believe the Propaganda they spew.

There is much concern about animal welfare for those animals used in agriculture and food production. Much of it is based on half-truths, but there is much that is also a harsh reality that these animal rights extremist and humane society organizations are fighting against. The coined media term "Factory Farm" comes into play here, regarding Confined Animal Feeding Operations or CAFOs and their treatment of livestock like hogs, chickens, dairy cows and feedlot cattle. There is much controversy over sows being kept in farrowing pens where they cannot move around, only get up and lay down to feed their piglets; layers being kept in crowded conditions with four to six hens and one rooster in a tiny cage with barely any sort of flat surface to stand or lay on; broilers raised and kept so they fatten up so fast their legs cannot support their weight anymore; dairy cows separated from their calves almost right after birth and never have a chance to raise them up like beef cows have the opportunity to; and finally feedlot cattle are kept in dusty or mud lots where they are more prone to illness and death from the unnatural feed they eat and the pen in which they live. There are many other concerns that have been brought up before, but these are the most concerting.

More and more young people are leaving the farm and pursuing an education and career in the cities. This leaves more and more farmers over the age of 50 to continue to farm. More work needs to be done to encourage these young people to continue the family farm or even pursue a career in agriculture.

Farming seems to be losing ground as being more of a family-affair than an industrial one or as a mere hobby. In today's world, in order to survive a farm must be really big, or really small with a different career off the farm. There is very few middle-of-the-road family farms left.

Agriculture is one of the most dangerous occupations in the world, right up there with mining and oil and gas drilling. Many people die or become seriously injured from machinery or rogue livestock.