Factory Farms, Cruelty to Animals and the Food Supply

The preparation of food in America is a major industry. The New York Times reports that 9 billion animals are slaughtered each year. That’s hundreds per second, making animals a continuous stream of raw material—and making the treatment of individual creatures almost invisible. While cruelty to animals is a crime, in some places it’s also a crime to blow the whistle on animal cruelty in the agricultural industry. Undercover video of ghastly mistreatment have led to federal and local prosecutions. Factory farms have lost big contracts due to consumer outrage. But many states are making it illegal to record those videos, or to mislead employers about one’s intentions when applying for a job. We hear about privacy and property rights, animal rights and the implications for both food safety and the public’s right to know.