PHI445 Week 4 Discussion, The Effects of Business on Consumers and the Environment: Case Study Perdue Farms

PHI445 Week 4 Discussion, The Effects of Business on Consumers and the Environment: Case Study Perdue Farms Perdue prides themselves in the freshness of their chicken, stating that “we go beyond what the USDA requires with extra inspections in American family-owned farms, refrigerated trucks that deliver daily, and everywhere in between” (PerdueChicken, 2014). Out of all the chicken consumed in the United States, Perdue produces the most. They have approximately 9,900 concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) which produce approximately 80% of the meat consumed by Americans- averaging 270 pound per person every year (Fieser, 2015). Hoover (2013) explains that these massive facilities that confine large numbers of animals have taken over independent farms as the primary source of not only meat, but eggs and dairy as well in the U.S. Craig Watts debated taking action against Perdue concerning chickens being raised in inhumane conditions. He spoke up for the greater good and demonstrated moral freedom of not participating in practices that produced suffering. He states that “over the course of six weeks, in a house of 30,000 chickens, it's considered normal for more than 1,000 birds to die in every flock due to illness, genetic problems or other issues including injuries” (CompassionUSA, 2014). He even says that under his contract with Perdue, he is not allowed to give the chickens fresh air or even sunshine. The chickens are forced to sit in the feces of tens of thousands of birds; their litter containing the feces isn’t changed between flocks and sometimes not changed for years (CompassionUSA, 2014). These CAFOs also cause environmental concerns. Hoover (2013) states that they compare more to industrial manufacturing than farming because they emit large amounts of air pollutants that are harmful. Not only are they damaging the environment, but are causing public health distresses. “The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization finds the livestock sector to be one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems worldwide” (Hoover, 2013, p.5). He also goes on to explain that the primary cause of the pollution is the decomposing animal manure, “nitrous oxide results from microbial processes in manure, and has 296 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide” (Hoover, 2013, p.7). A two year EPA study found levels of pollutants at some CAFOs whose levels were far higher than federal health based guidelines recommend for human exposure. These undoubtedly cause negative effects for the surrounding environment and residents. As far as the regulations surrounding factory farming, “since animals raised for food production receive virtually no protection under federal law and only ineffective protection under state anti-cruelty laws,18 the regulation of their treatment is left to the farm industry itself” (Stathopoulos, 2010, p. 411). The FDA has the authority to regulate activities on farm sites to prevent unsafe food products; however the USDA doesn’t have authority to regulate the safety of food products on a farm level (Stathopoulos, 2010, p. 410). References: CompassionUSA. (2014, December 3). Chicken factory farmer speaks out [Video file]. Retrieved from Fieser, J. (2015). Introduction to business ethics [Electronic version]. Retrieved from Hoover, J. (2013). Can’t you smell that smell? Clean air act fixes for factory farm air pollution. Stanford Journal of Animal Law and Policy, 6, 1-29. Retrieved from PerdueChicken. (2014, August 1). Perdue cartoon commercial–Fresh taste [Video file]. Retrieved from Stathopoulos, A. S. (2010). You are what your food eats: How regulation of factory farm conditions could improve human health and animal welfare alike. Legislation and Public Policy, 13, 407-444. Retrieved from