SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Factory Farms Are Bad for Your Health
Every single day, factory farms feed their animals low doses of antibiotics to make them grow faster and prevent disease in filthy, crowded living conditions. In fact, the factory farming industry uses 80 percent of the antibiotics sold in the U.S. And now, the medical community is warning that the medicines we've been relying on since the 1940s may no longer work when we need them.
May 20, 2014
Every single day, factory farms feed their animals low doses of antibiotics to make them grow faster and prevent disease in filthy, crowded living conditions. In fact, the factory farming industry uses 80 percent of the antibiotics sold in the U.S. And now, the medical community is warning that the medicines we've been relying on since the 1940s may no longer work when we need them.
I started working on our grassroots efforts to protect the effectiveness of antibiotics last fall. At first, I was excited about the opportunity to fight the corporate abuse of our food system. But the more I read, and the more people I talked to, I was struck by how deeply personal and serious this issue really is. It's not just about fixing our food system -- it's about saving lives.
Hearing stories from people like Marian really put this issue into perspective for me. Marian is a mother in Seattle who always eats good food, yet after a simple burn on her foot, found herself with a crippling antibiotic-resistant infection that's made it hard for her to care for her family. The unfortunate reality is that antibiotic-resistant infections can affect anyone, no matter what you eat, where you work or how old you are.
The current state of antibiotics is alarming, but it's not all bad. Since I started working on this effort, I've seen communities come together to take local action, and decision makers waking up and taking notice. From Providence to Seattle, we've passed local resolutions in communities across the United States to protect antibiotics. And we're just getting started.
The meat industry plays by its own rules when it comes to antibiotics, while everyone else suffers the consequences. But this public health crisis is preventable. Food & Water Watch is about to launch a national effort to stop the meat industry's misuse of antibiotics. We're pushing for federal action that will clean up factory farms and save lives. But before we get going, we need your feedback.
If antibiotic resistance has personally affected you, help us build this campaign to stop their misuse by sharing your story.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
© 2021 Food & Water Watch
Katy Kiefer
Katy Kiefer is the Activist Network Coordinator at Food & Water Watch. She works to engage activists through online outreach and provide opportunities for concerned citizens interested to take local action on issues affecting our food and water resources.
Every single day, factory farms feed their animals low doses of antibiotics to make them grow faster and prevent disease in filthy, crowded living conditions. In fact, the factory farming industry uses 80 percent of the antibiotics sold in the U.S. And now, the medical community is warning that the medicines we've been relying on since the 1940s may no longer work when we need them.
I started working on our grassroots efforts to protect the effectiveness of antibiotics last fall. At first, I was excited about the opportunity to fight the corporate abuse of our food system. But the more I read, and the more people I talked to, I was struck by how deeply personal and serious this issue really is. It's not just about fixing our food system -- it's about saving lives.
Hearing stories from people like Marian really put this issue into perspective for me. Marian is a mother in Seattle who always eats good food, yet after a simple burn on her foot, found herself with a crippling antibiotic-resistant infection that's made it hard for her to care for her family. The unfortunate reality is that antibiotic-resistant infections can affect anyone, no matter what you eat, where you work or how old you are.
The current state of antibiotics is alarming, but it's not all bad. Since I started working on this effort, I've seen communities come together to take local action, and decision makers waking up and taking notice. From Providence to Seattle, we've passed local resolutions in communities across the United States to protect antibiotics. And we're just getting started.
The meat industry plays by its own rules when it comes to antibiotics, while everyone else suffers the consequences. But this public health crisis is preventable. Food & Water Watch is about to launch a national effort to stop the meat industry's misuse of antibiotics. We're pushing for federal action that will clean up factory farms and save lives. But before we get going, we need your feedback.
If antibiotic resistance has personally affected you, help us build this campaign to stop their misuse by sharing your story.
Katy Kiefer
Katy Kiefer is the Activist Network Coordinator at Food & Water Watch. She works to engage activists through online outreach and provide opportunities for concerned citizens interested to take local action on issues affecting our food and water resources.
Every single day, factory farms feed their animals low doses of antibiotics to make them grow faster and prevent disease in filthy, crowded living conditions. In fact, the factory farming industry uses 80 percent of the antibiotics sold in the U.S. And now, the medical community is warning that the medicines we've been relying on since the 1940s may no longer work when we need them.
I started working on our grassroots efforts to protect the effectiveness of antibiotics last fall. At first, I was excited about the opportunity to fight the corporate abuse of our food system. But the more I read, and the more people I talked to, I was struck by how deeply personal and serious this issue really is. It's not just about fixing our food system -- it's about saving lives.
Hearing stories from people like Marian really put this issue into perspective for me. Marian is a mother in Seattle who always eats good food, yet after a simple burn on her foot, found herself with a crippling antibiotic-resistant infection that's made it hard for her to care for her family. The unfortunate reality is that antibiotic-resistant infections can affect anyone, no matter what you eat, where you work or how old you are.
The current state of antibiotics is alarming, but it's not all bad. Since I started working on this effort, I've seen communities come together to take local action, and decision makers waking up and taking notice. From Providence to Seattle, we've passed local resolutions in communities across the United States to protect antibiotics. And we're just getting started.
The meat industry plays by its own rules when it comes to antibiotics, while everyone else suffers the consequences. But this public health crisis is preventable. Food & Water Watch is about to launch a national effort to stop the meat industry's misuse of antibiotics. We're pushing for federal action that will clean up factory farms and save lives. But before we get going, we need your feedback.
If antibiotic resistance has personally affected you, help us build this campaign to stop their misuse by sharing your story.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.