The Fate of Food The hidden methods used to produce the food we consume today are unethical. These methods include the use of chemicals and the abuse of workers and animals. The process of producing food happens every day but, as consumers, we are not aware of how it happens. The vast majority of Americans are unaware of the highly mechanized structure of the industrial food system. Determined to capitalize on profit and production, social responsibility and food safety have taken a backseat to the industrial food system. The three most significant problems in the industrial food system are animal cruelty, lack of biodiversity, and the treatment of agricultural workers. These problems can be solved by creating more efficient food agencies, government subsidies for small organic farmers, and agencies that protect farmers' rights). The industrial food system is the cause of animal cruelty due to factory farming. The treatment of farm animals is “barbaric” (Blatt 2008, 195). The procedure for raising farm animals is inhumane. Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) is a process of the industrial farming system that separates animals from their natural habitat and confines them on farms with thousands of other animals. (Walsh 2009) In modern factory farms, animals are crowded into dirty, windowless farms and crammed into “wire cages” and “gestation crates.” (Niman 2009, 101) Pigs, for example, are confined in these factory farms for twenty-four hours a day. This raises many problems because these animals will never have the chance to raise their families, enjoy freedom or roam the grassy fields. Newborn piglets are separated from their mothers. The animals are deprived of access to fresh air and are fed through......middle of paper......d health. I propose the creation of the Farmworkers Labor Protection Agency (FWLPA). Through the FWLPA, farmworkers can address their concerns without fear of being fired or deported. The FWLPA will work with OSHA to apply its safety standards to individual farms. Farmers will be taught safety standards before they are hired, and ESL lessons will be provided twice a week to immigrant farmers who do not speak English. Workers' compensation, living conditions and wages will be upheld as part of FWLPA standards which will include a starting wage of $10 and overtime pay. Industrial agricultural workers face dangerous working conditions and should be compensated accordingly. By creating new, effective agencies, the industrial food system in the United States will reduce health problems, protect animal and worker rights, and develop a sustainable strategy.