COVID-19 Revealing Inherent Cruelty of Agribusiness
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Sentient Media newsletter:

“I know many industries are experiencing hardship right now. This is just the story of ours,” Ryan Elbe shares as he watches milk gush from a pipe at his Wisconsin dairy farm. Elbe is one of many farmers across the U.S. and Canada who started dumping thousands of gallons of milk in early April as a consequence of COVID-19 closures.

According to the USDA, processed milk products make up the majority of dairy consumption in the United States, with cheese accounting for over half of milk fat consumption in 2018. But as consumers trade restaurant dining for eating at home, the demand for dairy products has dropped drastically.

Food banks across the U.S. are reporting supply shortages due to the spike in unemployment. Some argue that the excess milk could be donated to food pantries, but processing milk for human consumption would significantly cut into the dairy industry’s profits. Instead, it is more cost-effective for farmers to dump the raw product.

As dairy farms continue to operate despite decreased demand, many farm owners are bracing themselves for the repercussions of dwindling milk prices. As the food supply suffers, so do millions of animals stuck within the meat and dairy industries.

COVID-19 closures have already resulted in the culling of millions of animals within the meat and dairy industries in the U.S. and Canada. Inside the dairy industry, cows are kept in confined, unsanitary spaces where they are hooked up to machines and milked multiple times per day. In modern dairy, calves are removed from their mothers so cows will produce more milk for human consumption. Only now, the their suffering is in vain as their milk is being flushed down the drain.

The meat and dairy industries are largely controlled by major corporations prioritizing profit over the health and safety of workers and animals. Workers within the meat and dairy industries have little control over their working conditions. Hundreds have fallen ill after showing up to work in fear of losing their jobs during this uncertain time. As COVID-19 continues to surge through processing plants, some workers are striking in hopes of inciting change within our current food system’s procedures.

COVID-19 has the potential to spark significant changes in the agricultural industry, giving citizens an opportunity to influence its direction. Animal rights advocates and concerned voters can lobby elected officials to limit the use of government funds to support industries that engage in animal cruelty and mistreat their employees.

Read the full story