The Consequences of Contemporary Hog Farming - Essay Example

? Hog Farming Contemporary Hog Farming and Its Consequences Introduction American society has been practicing hog farming on a large scale since the introduction of the capitalist economy. There is an increasing need to control hog farming due to its impacts on the environment, a move that faces opposition from the capitalists. Hog farming affects the natural environment owing to the activities of the capitalists who want to benefit from the free market. Hog farming has become a risk to the environment because it depletes and destroys what protects its existence. Despite this, there are positive results characterized by hog farming as it contributes to growing the economy and it acts as a source of food. The nature of free market allows capitalists to utilize the environment for their personal gains with little attention to laborers. Capitalists do not bother with the condition of their environment and increasingly harm it as they release toxic substances. The harm to the environment leads to degradation, hence posing challenges to the living organisms as well as their existence. Karl Marx and neo-Marx theorists developed explanations of the capitalist business impact on the environment. Capitalists are interested in a large production of goods aimed at maximizing the profits with little attention to the natural environment. The theories hold different views on the level of capitalists’ participation in degrading the environment as well as the impacts they have. This research paper will outline the consequences of the contemporary hog farming in relation to theories by Marx and neo-Marx theorists. Theories Explaining the Consequences Theories of Metabolic Rift Karl Marx developed this theory to explain the rift created by capitalists between social and natural systems. Karl Marx claimed that the rift led to the exploitation of the environment causing an irreversible crisis. He also argued that human beings were a part of nature and societies; the latter worked as a whole with metabolism similar to that of human beings. Karl Marx added that any disruption in the natural cycle and processes results in a metabolic rift between nature and social systems. The consequence of this rift is buildup of wastes leading to degradation of the natural environment. The rural to urban migration has made people lose their contact with nature, hence, they have lost an insight on how their actions in the urban centers affect the environment (Liu, 2010). Similarly, the capitalists often move and look for cheaper labor in the rural areas, when workers demand to increase their wages. Over the years the rural–urban migration has been on the upward trend, more people live in the urban centers what makes them lose their connection with nature. The capitalists have to move to new locations and outsource cheap labor from developing nations. They increase and fuel the vicious downward cycle of underdevelopment, because they take competent and educated individuals to offer cheap labor. Taking highly educated students to offer cheap labor contributes to the underdevelopment in the affected countries. Treadmill of Production This theory was developed by Allan Schnaiberg. He explains the increase of environmental challenges in the modern era. This theorist argues that advancements in technology introduced by capitalists, who own the means of production and want to increase their production, drive the growth and consumption. Their actions lead to more consumption, which calls for more production, because all the components of the society depend on the economic growth to curb social problems related to crime and unemployment. Proponents of treadmill of production theory argue that environmental problems cannot be solved by such activities or systems since the growth continues and puts pressure on the production to act on the natural resources; that, as a result, generates environmental pollution (Foster, 1999). Treadmill of production theory advocates for a radical restructuring of the political economy controlled by capitalists to provide a solution to the negative impacts on the environment. This ensures capitalists should keep aside their interest and work towards benefiting the society with the appropriate technology. Similarly, it roots for the need of the society to move away from growth dependencies related to economic growth and diversify the options. The theory believes there are many areas that can initiate growth besides production to ensure there is a significant change. The usage of the right measures and policies bring friendly environmental practices with safety measures for the people and the environment as a whole. The humanity will stay in a safe environment free from destruction that promotes thriving of all individuals. Second Contradiction of Capitalism This is an ecological Marxist theory that predicts developing environmental consequences because of the environment deprived by the capitalist production practices. Second contradiction of capitalism theory points out at the reasons why the capitalist society faces limits in the environment from their production, no matter what their conservation efforts and wellness of the meaning are. Karl Marx believed that capitalists caused negative environmental impacts, although his theory did not deal much with the capitalistic contradiction. He concentrated more on the exploitation of labor than on nature and natural resources. Karl Marx argued that capitalist production is understood by their own seed of destruction inform of internal contradiction. Karl Marx pointed out that the social relationship between the forces of production consisting of labor and infrastructure and the relationship of productions comprising social systems supporting capitalism tend to produce an overproduction crisis (Foster, 1999). The overproduction in a capitalistic society is a contradiction, because it has unlimited capacity of producing which is beyond the consumption. Therefore, it forces the capitalists to cut prices and cost by restraining wages of their employees and speeding as well as replacing laborers with machines. Capitalists suffer from second contradiction, because they are addicted to growth that they cannot minimize. Their capital accumulation jeopardizes and fouls the natural conditions for production. The natural conditions under the affect are climate changes, a rising cost of production, depleted raw materials, plus a necessity to restore ruined soil among others. Environmental Justice Environmental justice emphasizes the distribution of justice equally and fairly in the society through opportunities, contribution, benefits as well as risk . Distribution is the cornerstone of environmental justice practice and thinking. It also relates to the interaction between the community and the environment as it deals with the foundation of political power. The inequalities in the society have promoted environmental injustices, which have made it fail in realizing the positive contribution of the environment and keeping the environment safe (Liu, 2010). Environmental justice focuses at proper conservation of the environment by adhering to the set standards by the natural law. There are natural laws and codes of ethics mandated to preserve the natural environment and keep it safe for human habitat, which the capitalists assume. Any destruction of the environment through imposing toxic substances goes against environmental justice as manifested by the capitalist society. Because of this, most of the capitalist activities contribute to environmental injustices and degradation. Consequences of Hog Farming Hog farming is an economic activity practiced by the capitalists and has negative impacts on the environment. Hogs produce a number of wastes just like human beings, hence, a single hog factory will generate the same amount of waste or more than any other average company. Hog contributes to environmental degradation by releasing wastes into the rivers. The wastes are flushed into the environment without treatment causing pollution. This happens because the capitalists want to minimize the cost of production at the expense of the environment and the people. Bacon factories emerge because hog farming dumps their liquid manures into the nearby fields that become saturated thereafter. The saturation leads to ground water that goes to rivers and other open water sources (Charleston, 2004). Wastes from pork factories have over 400 toxic substances such as heavy metals, deadly biocides among others, which are harmful to the environment. Bad odors and dangerous gases characterize hog farming and harm the environment. Hog factories owned by the capitalists have defied the environmental regulations causing the neighboring farmers, workers or those who get into close contact vomit, choke and faint because of the gas produced on the hog farms. It is difficult to get rid of the odor from one’s skin. The wastes from the hog farms stink at a distance and this fact influences the lives of the workers in the factory negatively. Neighbors of the factories and hog farms no longer enjoy their summer, and they do not open their windows because of the bad odor. In some cases, the factory odor is so strong that it affects those flying in airplanes as high as three kilometers above the ground from the facility. Fumes from the hog buildings composed of methane, hydrogen sulphide, and ammonia are harmful to human beings, hence, they cause environmental impacts. They cause lung diseases, nausea, and eye infection among other diseases. Employees die every year because of inhaling contaminating gases in one way or another (Charleston, 2004). Since the development of the contemporary hog farming, many Americans have ended their domestic farms due to the negative impacts of the capitalists’ production. They no longer have to farm and get their basic food to supplement their income as they used to do. This has been so because every fog factory ousts ten farmers from the family farming. It employs domestic agricultural workers who work four hours for a low wage. The laborers overwork and handle over 5000 hogs at any given time. The conditions of the employees have become miserable with the advent of hog farming leading to more turnovers after every few months. The situation has been worsening over time as in the case with North Carolina, second American hog producer, that has witnessed the diminishing family hog farming. They have been replaced by hog factories owned by multinational companies. Multinational companies have taken over and control the hog production of the state (Charleston, 2004). The multinational factories have since moved to Iowa, a number one state in hog production, making them lose independent farmers and seek work from the capitalist’s farms and factories. This is a negative impact that affects the production due unethical practices. Small farmers no longer have pride, but conform to the practices of multinational factories, like Smithfield Foods. Hog farming has become a ground for political corruption in the contemporary society (Charleston, 2004). Hog factories produce more manures than needed to fertilize the environment around them. The excessive production of these manures becomes harmful to the environment breaking the laws and regulations governing the safety standards and measures. The multinationals assume they cannot afford to treat the excessive production of the factory manures due to the high cost attached to it, so they look for other options. Small farmers do not need to treat their manures because they produce it in small quantities essential for fertilizing the fields. The multinational capitalists bribe the political leaders to give them favor due to the fear of increasing the cost of production. This makes the government in power save the companies and allow the degradation of the environment causing different impacts. Similarly, the hog farming has rendered many farmers jobless and forced to seek other options because of the acquisitions by the hog factories. Many multinational companies invade other nations, where there is less labor demand, in search for cheap labor. For instance, Smithfield moved to Poland because of the availability of cheap labor after its operations in other nations underwent an increased pressure to pay more wages. In their move, the company went and purchased local hog farms owned by the local farmers and created tough economic conditions for them. They had to go and look for jobs in the corporate firms agreeing to be paid little. Contemporary farming is marked by increased unethical practices, it locks out competition and promotes the well-being of the capitalist who owns the means of production. They move in and gain the monopoly after buying local farms controlling prices as well as supplies of the pork. Because of this, they have negative influence degrading the environment. Conclusion The activities of the capitalist society contribute to the degradation of the environment owing to their practices. The contemporary activities marked with hog farming have negative impacts on the environment as argued by Karl Marx and neo-Marxist theorists on the consequences of capitalists in the natural environment. The overproduction leads to surplus that is a contradiction where the capitalistic interests interfere with the natural environment. They produce more than the consumption is, hence, it has negative effects by depleting resources and reducing wages of workers. The large hog farming leads to pollution of the environment because the producers fear the cost of treating water from their factories. They release raw wastes, which contain heavy metals harmful to the environment. Hog farming is characterized by maximization of profits promoting political corruption in the society. The owners of the means of production bribe the governments who in return grant them a favor to abscond their duties of treating their wastes before releasing them into the environment. Similarly, the hogs farming produces bad odor and gases that make living in such an environment uncomfortable and it can no longer support the existence of human beings and nature as argued by Karl Marx. References Charleston, D. (2004). Feeding the hog industry in North Carolina: Agri-industrial restructuring in hog farming and its implications for the US periphery. Sociation Today, 2 (1), 23-100. Foster, J. (1999). The vulnerable planet: a short economic history of the environment. New York: Monthly Review Press. Liu, C. (2010). Hog island: Agricultural protectionism, food dependency and impact. Parkway: Proquest. Read More