intensive farming and its negative consequences on people

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This report is based on discussing negative consequences of intensive farming, which is mostly known as the use of large amount of pesticides and medicines for the growth of crops, and rearing of animals. This report in this context has chosen an article and summarised writer’s primary concerns in it. It has also discussed the reason for Government’s support of this farming and its failure and discussed its colossal impact on society and human. In this regard the impact of language, style and structure have been elucidated and writer’s key purpose, its effectiveness and intended readership are analysed too.

Section 1

1. Writer’s main concerns regarding the practice of intensive farming

Intensive farming is often considered as one of the latest procedure for obtaining high productivity through the utilisation of chemical fertilisers in colossal amount on a small area of land and keeping massive amount of livestock indoors.  In this article writer has raised her concerns regarding the negative effects of intensive farming. Through the use and application of different types of pesticides, chemical fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides, this kind of farming tries to increase productivity and keeping livestock more than their capacity. This in turn is responsible for emergence of various diseases, pollution and infections due to poor hygiene and overcrowding.

Figure 1: Reasons for the support of UK government towards intensive farming

On the one hand, such farming enables people to purchase food with fewer prices but contrarily, it is responsible for affecting human health negatively. In the very first, line the writer uses word imagery like cold and bright to provide a distinct image of nature and along with that she uses the imagery sweet for making readers feel the weather. This happens because vegetables and fruits are covered with harmful pesticides that cannot be washed away easily leading physical deformity, skin allergy and congenital diseases. Moreover, pesticides are responsible for killing beneficial insects and it affects workers and people residing near it. Moreover, the writer has also elevated his concerns regarding the lifespan of livestock’s’ that is optimising incessantly due to excessive use of chemicals. The writer has expressed her concern by suggesting the absence of hedgerow, blade of grass, birds or butterflies in the perfectly designed garden of countryside where intensive farming is taking place. Her concern regarding adverse effects of intensive farming becomes clearer when she mentions that bees are hired for fertilising blossom.

2. Reasons behind the failure of UK government for supporting British farmers

According to the writer of this article, British Government is putting much effort in supporting British farmers by encouraging people to purchase British food. In such way, more import of food from foreign markets can be reduced. This undoubtedly helps farmers in increasing their profit margin. On the contrary, the writer stated that this is responsible for increasing health hazards in Britain. In order to produce more British farmers are trying to produce more with less effort and capital. The writer’s choice of language makes it evident when she says that British people are inclining towards cheaper food and for ensuring farmers’ success UK environment secretary is asking for purchasing British Food. In this case, persuasive writing style has been maintained as the writer is trying convincing her arguments with evidence that they are causing harm to physical health of people. This industrial farming is affecting the life span of animals as it is reducing dangerously.

Figure 2: Reasons for the failure of UK government in supporting farmers

The overuse of harmful pesticides in industrial farming is responsible for scrubbing wildlife from earth surface. Birds, butterflies and moths are reducing increasingly and population of birds in last 30 years has fallen by 435 million. Moreover, consumption of fruits and vegetables obtained from such harming are responsible for making people fall ill. Ammonia emerging from the use of such pesticides is responsible for negatively affecting local people and vegetation. Thus, UK government wanted people to consume seasonal fruits and vegetables that they thought would be healthy for them and will help farmers as well. This effort has totally gone in vain, as it has failed in serving its purpose.

3. Key points regarding the consequences of intensive farming on society and people

Animals produced in intensive farming are responsible for rearing within restricted place a large number of animals. Therefore, these animals are required to have high quantity of water, food and even medicine for ensuring their healthy growth and expansion. Similarly, for the growth of crops excess amount of chemical fertilizers, labour, capital and pesticides are used. On the contrary, the usage of large amount of pesticides is responsible for poisoning and polluting both soil and water. The usages of pesticides on the one hand, ensure high production of crops and making its price cheaper.

 

Figure 3: Key points regarding the consequences of intensive farming on society and people

On the contrary, humans are bound to pay for such exploitation. The lifespan of animals decreases in an alarming rate. Moreover, when these medicines and pesticides enter into human body through the consumption of these animals and crops, they suffer from various health hazards. The writer has maintained descriptive writing style by painting a picture regarding the negative consequences of intensive farming by pointing towards the absence of birds, butterflies and bees. Moreover, persuasive writing style can be observed here to when she gives exact data in percentage regarding decrease of the population of sparrows or the suggestion of the existence of strong yellowish smog occurred out of excessive pollution. This type of farming is responsible as well for destroying biodiversity as the number of birds; bees and moths is optimising every day. These pesticides consist of harmful chemicals like ammonia and bioaerosols, which can contaminate air and water and people residing near the agricultural field. Ammonia is responsible for increasing headache, nausea, wheezing, difficulties in breathing, phlegm and asthma. In UK, it is found that more than 26% people are suffering from asthma that has caused due to air pollution. Bioaerosols are responsible for allergic reactions, infectious diseases, impairment of lung function and respiratory systems. (Refer to appendix 1)

Section 2

4. Analysis of the writer’s attitude towards intensive farming and its effect on people and countryside

Most of the farmers in UK belong to multicultural background. The managers of industrial farming often use abusive language towards them and maintain authoritative attitudes. This results in the less connection of farmers with their occupation and as the managers focus more on more production, therefore the farmers try to inculcate less capital for the growth and expansion of production. On the other hand, it is necessary for farmers to understand that excessive use of pesticides and medicines cannot ensure high production rather it is responsible for decreasing its lifespan. Often managers discuss these matters with farmers in their own language and therefore, most of the useful information is lost in translation. The writer has used the simile garden of Eden to suggest how beautiful intensive farming can look like from outside. Whereas  usages of imagery like ‘crammed into barren pens or tiny patches of land’, ‘standing listlessly waiting to be fed’, ‘ milked or injected with antibiotics’ only suggests poor condition of these animals used in this farming. Similarly, imageries like smell of cowpats, nauseating reek and faintly sweet smell of manure suggest the overuse of manure in this kind of intensive farming and its side effects.

The first layout used in the article give an image of heaven on earth, as there are perfectly aligned trees but without the presence of a single bird, grass or bees. The tree sparrows are reduced by 97%. This clearly points towards the harmful effects of pesticides on animals destroying natural balance. The second layouts support this fact. This artificial crop, animals and fishes are responsible for negatively affecting health of people as drugs or pesticides used for their growth are entering into human body making them fall ill. The most convincing evidence is emission of yellowish fog due to air pollution in countryside areas, which is worse than Los Angeles, and third layout suggests the worse sight of feedlot farming. Expository writing style has been maintained in this case as the writer has separately described consequences of intensive farming on animals, environment and people.

Section 3

5. Main purpose of the article

The primary purpose of this article is to make UK government and intensive farming managers aware of the negative effects of this type of farming. The writer has achieved this purpose by including in the article its negative effects like destroying biodiversity, negative health consequences. The writer has achieved this purpose by using large number of data and statistics, images. Intensive farming helps in high production but consumption of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and medicines used for the growth of livestock lead to various hearth diseases and asthmatic problems. The writer has tried to show this by interacting with people suffering from health hazard residing near the firm. The purpose is mostly achieved through expository and descriptive form of writing style. Logical and critical outlook is developed and notes are taken for assessing main purpose of this article.

6. Writer’s intended readership

The purpose of the writer is to make people aware of the negative consequences of intensive farming or more specifically, it can be stated that she has tried to create awareness among managers of this farming and Government of UK. Government is supportive regarding the practice of intensive farming. She has tried to create awareness by giving them adequate knowledge associated with it through easy and fluent language. Providing enough data and statistics regarding its harmful consequences, she tried to strengthen her argument, She has provided convincing justification as well so that government can take immediate effort for reducing intensive farming and if it is necessary to sustain then utilising certain methods for optimising its negative consequences. This is a kind of academic article as the author is expert in this field, photographs, and data support illustrations.

7. Effectiveness of writers’ achievement of her purpose

In this particular article, the writer has tried to raise the awareness of UK Government, industrial farming managers and people associated with intensive farming. Maybe the government is emphasising on intensive farming for high production and cheaper price. On the contrary, it ends up in polluting environment, destroying biodiversity and causing serious health hazards. In the farming forests are destroyed leading to large open areas and soil areas. On the contrary destroying natural habitats of animals and birds it contributes towards depleting biodiversity as the numbers of birds and bees are reducing in an alarming rate. Moreover, these pesticides are responsible for air and water pollution therefore people habituating near this farm can suffer from serious health consequences. The writer has successfully achieved her purpose in deriving the attention of targeted readers’ due to her convincing writing style supported by data, statistics, images, and personal research approach. Critical approach is taken as the writer here tried to review several other journals on the same topic to analyse the justification of the writer’s statement. The writer through her expository writing style is capable of increasing awareness of the Government regarding the negative impacts of intensive farming. Moreover, he has used word imagery, like yellowish grey smog to suggest the exact colour of it.

Conclusion

From this report, enough knowledge has been gathered regarding intensive farming and its negative consequences on people, society and environment as a whole. It is also elemental in finding main purpose of the writer that is to create awareness regarding its negative impact to prevent it immediately.