Meat is an essential aspect of most Americans' diets, and many people enjoy consuming it. It is conveniently available in grocery stores and fast food restaurants and is accessible in a short amount of time. Most Americans eat meat every day, but don't realize that most meat is produced on factory farms. Intensive farming consists of housing “more than 125,000 animals under one roof and are designed to produce the highest possible production at the lowest possible cost to the operator” (Farm Forward). The animals (chicken, turkeys, cows and fish) are confined to cramped living conditions with little or no room to move. Allowing livestock to live in deplorable conditions is animal abuse. Intensive farming negatively affects the environment and the health of humans and animals. The issue of intensive farming must be resolved, the bad outweighs the good in this situation and if we do not resolve this problem the consequences could be very disastrous. One of the many problems with factory farms is that they negatively affect surrounding populations, as illustrated in North Carolina, where concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), also known as factory farms, are in close proximity to cities. These factory farms use pig waste and spray it on crops. The waste from these animals “may contain pathogens, heavy metals and antibiotic-resistant bacteria”. Chemicals from these animals' excrement then affect the surrounding population, and "a growing body of research suggests that these emissions could contribute not only to mucosal irritation and respiratory distress in nearby residents, but also to decreased quality of life." , mental stress and high blood pressure. " Plus the smell of waste is... middle of paper ... livestock. As for the argument that pasture-raised livestock takes too long, that's actually incorrect because livestock is mostly self-sufficient in pastures. Livestock feed primarily on grass and may require fewer workers than factory farming. Eventually, the benefits of organic farming will outweigh the disadvantages caused by factory farming accounts for a large amount of meat production. Although industrialized agriculture is convenient, the problems it creates outweigh the efficiency of confined animal feeding operations. Industrialized agriculture poses a danger to the environment and human and animal health livestock. Americans must be informed about the harmful effects created by factory farming and be introduced to organic farming as a viable solution. If this issue is put aside, serious problems will occur.