The Superiority of the Practice of Complexity
Industrial systems are responsible for ninety percent of America's meat production, torturing and exploiting millions of animals every hour, as well as detrimentally affecting the health of America’s citizens and environment (Stancheva, 2021). The impact of the industrial system on the health of humans, animals, and the environment is negligible and will continue to deteriorate unless the practice of complexity coerces it. Although overlooked, practicing complexity is far superior to industrial systems because it focuses on restoring health and life while maintaining efficiency and eliminating the need for harmful, inhumane practices used in industrial systems.
Industrial systems are inefficient because they rely on ruthlessly killing animals and destroying the environment for profit, thus forming a fragile system that, unlike the balanced system established by complex agriculture, will inevitably collapse. Polyface recognizes the importance animals have on the health of the environment and the entirety of the ecosystem. Animals naturally contribute to environmental health, and each animal plays a key role in the farm, eliminating the need for harmful artificial practices. Complex farmers deem the sanitation of the farm to be crucial to the ecosystem's health, hence viewing the natural sanitation provided by the animals as important. However, in industrial farms, sanitation is not viewed with importance as the sheds of animals “...are not cleaned for the entire 5-7 week cycle, causing a high concentration of ammonia which can irritate and burn their skin and impede their respiratory system” (Dominion 44:42). In fact, this entire natural efficiency approach has no value to industrial organizations as they rely on artificial practices that ultimately harm animals and the environment. Moreover, animals are no longer seen as a vital component of an ecosystem but only as livestock in the industrial system; therefore, they are treated as only a source of exploitation. Unlike complex farms, industrial farms strive to hide how they treat animals, aware that knowledge of their cruel ways may ruin their reputation; hence, the animals they torture are constantly “Hidden by this narrative, out of sight, out of mind, they cease to be individuals, most known only as livestock, faceless units of production in a system of incomprehensible scale, exempt from the cruelty laws that protect our companion animals” (Dominion 2:22). The animals on these farms lead a miserable life as they are tortured from birth, live in a repulsive and neglected environment, and are eventually killed mercilessly. Furthermore, the entirety of this horrific way of exploiting animals can be altered with practicing complexity, as animals on farms such as Polyface live a life that is valued, environmentally beneficial, and economically sufficient. Practicing complexity offers a highly efficient production that is natural, thus ridding the need for such cruel and artificial practices. Although those who practice complexity prioritize health over the economy, complex farms can still maintain an excellent profit while benefiting the lives and health of all. The dependence industrial farms have on killing billions of animals in factories for profit is not only cruel but detrimental to the health of the environment. Factory agriculture is responsible for the rise in deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and increased air and water pollution (Vergunst and Savulescu, 2017). Many crops grown and processed to feed these animals contribute to this. What's more, factory farms can pollute nearby water sources, thus harming nearby populations. Factories such as these burn and pump vast amounts of toxic chemicals into the air constantly, contributing to the deteriorating climate that, if not altered, will lead to the planet's demise. Not only is life on land threatened by such industrial systems, but marine life is also threatened, endangering all life in the water. The shark fin industry is a large-scale and lucrative production that leads to the killing and exploitation of large numbers of sharks. This species plays a vital role in a healthy marine ecosystem. Sharks are crucial to the health of oceanic ecosystems, but life on land and their environment feeds our vital source of human air, water, and food; thus, if continued, this industry will ultimately lead to the deterioration of both oceanic and land life. The Shark fin industry accounts for the ruthless deaths of millions of sharks whose fins are chopped off, and their body is left to die finless in the ocean, contributing to the death of about 150 million sharks every year, thus further damaging the preservation of life on earth. Furthermore, Rob Stewart states, “I think what’s unfair and irresponsible is wiping out 90% of the most important longest lasting predator the planet has for the sake of soup”(Sharkwater, 1:15). The exploitation and disregard of life for such vast numbers of sharks, who play a critical role to the health of the planet, is continued and hidden for something as insignificant as soup, representing how truly flawed and disturbing the ways of industrial systems are. Industrial systems such as these have even gone so far as to secretly include shark species in everyday products such as cosmetics, diapers, and dog food and have renamed shark products to manipulate people into buying and eating sharks without any knowledge of doing so. This manipulation of the public infers how morally wrong these entire industries are when they kill and exploit animals and destroy the environment for pure profit. Industries such as these are unstable as they will eventually collapse once their deterioration of the environment has reached its peak. The exploitation of such immense numbers of animals, such as sharks and the billions of animals tortured in farm life, is not only disturbing and morally wrong but also inefficient because it will further destroy life on earth. The only way to coerce the damage that industrial systems have brought upon our planet while still maintaining efficiency is to practice complexity, thus conserving the preservation of our life on Earth. Generally speaking, the practice of complexity will establish a more stable system based on protecting life on the earth, which is far superior to the traditional industrial system where profits are above all else.
Industrial systems are manipulative as they cause those who are oblivious to partake in the system while forcing low-income people to succumb to addictive and unhealthy diets, which adversely damage the health of the United States. The Industrial system does not care for the health of its consumers, just as it doesn't care for the lives of the billions of animals tortured and exploited to meet the needs of the system. Thus, the food promoted by industries such as these cannot be trusted, meaning those who are oblivious to the hidden dangers of the Industrial systems’ products are manipulated into eating harmful substances. Many healthy foods are inaccessible due to how “The average grocery store has 47,000 products, which makes it look like there is a large variety of choice – but it is an illusion – there are only a few major companies (like Monsanto, Tyson, and Perdue for example) and a few major crops involved” (Food Inc, 1:32). Almost all of these products that are promoted in stores derive from these industrial systems. Furthermore, many of these products show images of farms and healthy animals, but in fact, these products come from factories, which are far from the happy fantasy images displayed. However, many people do not realize this and are manipulated to support and consume these dangerous products. These products are so dangerous that they caused the spread of E. coli and the death of consumers, including a two-year-old child from Seattle. It was the Jack in the Box hamburgers that killed this little boy in a matter of a week. Moreover, “E. coli isn’t just in ground beef now, it’s been found in spinach, apple juice, and this is really because of the runoff from our factory farms” (Food Inc, 25:08). The fact that E.coli was not only found in meat but in spinach and apple juice, represents how careless the Industrial system is with its products as the derivation of the spread of this disease came from how terrible the conditions of the animals were on the farm, causing manure to be found in food. For instance, “The animals stand ankle-deep in their manure all day. So that if one cow has it, the other cows will get it. When they get to the slaughterhouse, their hides are caked with manure. And if the slaughterhouse is slaughtering 400 animals an hour, how do you get that manure from getting onto those carcasses?” (Food Inc, 21:20-22:41) Animals that live on complex farms such as Polyface are kept clean and treated as living creatures, as any farm should treat its animals. However, the industrial system considers this to be inefficient, ignoring the lives of all animals on the farm and allowing them to live in disgusting conditions. As a result of these poor living conditions, food quality is also poor, causing oblivious consumers to become sick from something as basic as eating food. The mother of a dead victim of this industry, despite fighting for justice for her son and future victims, was denied assurance that this cycle of harming people with food will not continue. The industry is aware of its products' effect on consumers, yet chooses not to change, and continues to manipulate those who are oblivious to its harms to continue to partake in it, as this is how they make profit. If humans learn to practice complexity so that the health of all people is put before the pursuit of profit, then all the harmful effects of these systems on human health can be stopped. Without the practice of complexity, this harmful way of farming will continue to cost the health and lives of many. Many diseases, including type 2 diabetes, have become more prominent at a young age than ever before, which represents how much the industry has affected everyone. In addition, industrial systems intentionally make their products inexpensive so they can be accessible to all. At the same time, the high prices of organic food and unprocessed food have forced many families to follow industrial consumerism. Something as basic as a head of broccoli is now costing families far more money than a burger from a fast food place. Almost everyone is now a victim of these industrial systems because many people either do not know the hazards of eating almost all the food in the grocery store or simply cannot afford their health. Moreover, industrial systems have also scientifically created products that mimic the symptoms of drugs, causing people to become addicted to the food of these industries. However, the addictive good feeling these products cause is very short-lived as “... they are so high often and refined carbohydrates, the good mood they create crashes pretty quickly and you are left feeling kinda bad” (ASK AN EXPERT: Michael Pollan Explains Processed Food, 0:49-0:51). The fact that the industrial system purposely makes their food mimic drugs and causes people to become addicted to the short-lived happy feeling it causes, represents how much control the system has over humans. We are being treated like animals who are forced to succumb to the detrimental ways of the system and then scientifically tricked into becoming addicted to the harmful product. The amount of harm these industrial systems have had on the health of all people is deranged, especially since so much of this harm could have been avoided if practicing complexity was a prominent way of thinking in the Western world.
The practice of complexity is far superior to industrial systems as it offers an efficient way of production that benefits the preservation of life and profit, rather than industrial systems, which deteriorate the health of all life on earth for the benefit of profit. Industrial systems have damaged the conservation of human life on earth, continuously putting the lives of people, animals, and the environment's health at risk. Practicing complexity is the only way humans can produce food efficiently without constantly contributing to the abuse of animals and deterioration of the health of humans and the environment, thus making it far more efficient for industrial systems.
Works Cited
AustralianPigFarming, director. Dominion. YouTube, YouTube, 9 Oct. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQRAfJyEsko. Accessed 25 Sept. 2021.
Stroumboulopoulos, George, director. ASK AN EXPERT: Michael Pollan Explains Processed Food. YouTube, YouTube, 24 June 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvbjx7qOwBE. Accessed 25 Sept. 2021.
Business Casual, director. Monsanto: The Company That Owns the World’s Food Supply. YouTube, YouTube, 19 Sept. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAZmHIiN8VI . Accessed 25 Sept. 2021.
USA TODAY, director. Polyface Farm. YouTube, YouTube, 21 Apr. 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxTfQpv8xGA .Accessed 25 Sept. 2021.
“Food Inc.” Food Inc Watch Online Full Movie - Documentary Mania, Documentary Mania, 2009, www.documentarymania.com/player.php?title=Food+Inc . Accessed 25 Sept. 2021.
Stancheva, Terry. “50+ Terrifying Factory Farming Facts to Know in 2021.” Pawsome Advice, 13 July 2021, pawsomeadvice.com/environment/factory-farming-facts/.
Vergunst, Francis, and Julian Savulescu. “Five Ways the Meat on Your Plate Is Killing the Planet.” The Conversation, 16 Sept. 2021, theconversation.com/five-ways-the-meat-on-your-plate-is-killing-the-planet-76128.
