I Interact With Anti-Ag Activists So You Don’t Have To
I’m going to confess something I don’t typically broadcast… I am a member of various animal rights and vegan Facebook groups. Dad, if you’re reading this, please do not disown me. I promise I did this for a good reason.
For the past two years I have been a silent member of these groups, observing every shared article, “like,” comment and discussion. While at least half of these posts are centered around freeing zoo animals and malnourished puppies, a very concerning number target animal agriculture. Most warm and fuzzy animal rescue posts are matched with countless others pertaining to products such as “The Beyond Burger,” and articles published by PETA connecting cattle to climate change.
My goal in joining these groups is to understand the mind of anti-ag activists. Although I don’t think I’ll ever fully accomplish this task, I have gained knowledge of their opinions and how they are formed. I’ve found that some of these people really hate the industry that keeps the world fed and clothed. However, I think what perplexes me the most is their blatant ignorance of agriculture.
Take the Facebook post I’ve included for example. The post contained a short clip of panting pigs that appear to be in an alleyway or trailer. The caption with the video reads:
“Still love bacon? Make the connection guys. There is no difference between your dog and a pig, a goat or any other animal. Animal agriculture is the leading cause of world hunger, deforestation, water pollution, world water shortage, global warming, species extinction, land degradation, etc.”
This specific post was shared 24 times.
I’ll admit, this video isn’t a good look for the industry. Panting is a direct correlation of heat stress and yes, these pigs are stacked on top of one another.
My main concern with the post is the glaring inaccuracies in the caption. I pride myself on being respectful of everyone’s opinion, and I respect the opinion of the person who shared this video. However, I can’t respect the misinformation the post spreads about our industry. Yes, animal agriculture and crop production are associated with some of the pressing issues mentioned, but it is certainly not the leading cause of most and many other factors play a role.
Poverty is the leading cause of world hunger, according to do worldhunger.org. Reducing the poverty level would put a dent in one of the biggest hurdles in feeding the world. But more obviously ironic about the world hunger statement is the fact that agriculture, quite literally, is the only way we can solve world hunger.
Water pollution was also included on the poster’s strikes against animal agriculture. According to The National Resources Defense Council, surface water is pumped into 60 percent of America’s homes. The leading cause of contamination in surface water is nutrient pollution, which includes nitrates and phosphates. The primary sources of nutrient pollution are fertilizer, animal manure, sewage treatment plant discharge, detergents, stormwater runoff, cars and power plants, failing septic tanks and pet waste. So yes, agriculture does contribute to water pollution but is it the only culprit? No.
They also wrote that animal agriculture is the leading cause of global warming. According to NASA, human activities are changing Earth’s natural greenhouse gases. By burning fossil fuels such as coal or oil, we have increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
“To a lesser extent, the clearing of land for agriculture, industry, and other human activities has increased concentrations of greenhouse gases,” NASA reported.
“Lesser extent” and “agriculture” are key words in that statement, that again highlight false accusations in the post.
Here’s the bottom line of my argument, and the point of this column in general: It’s okay to have a difference of opinion; It’s okay to be a carnivore; It’s okay to be a vegan; It’s okay to support big corporations; It’s okay to change your lifestyle in efforts to protect the planet. But it is NOT okay to form opinions and make choices without knowing the facts. The problem with many anti-ag organizations isn’t that they have their own agenda, it’s that they are misinforming the public on basic agriculture.
Agriculturists, it’s time to do something about this issue. It’s our duty to not only support the industry but educate the nay-sayers. I’ve heard this phrase 1,000 times and probably said it 1,000 more, “Without agriculture, you’d be naked and starving.” We, the 11 percent of Americans who work in the agricultural industry, know this to be true – but not everyone does.
How do we fix this problem? Well, we grab the activists’ hands, help them down from their soap boxes and set the record straight about agriculture in a professional and approachable way. Because if we don’t, no one will.
