An article in The Topeka
Capital-Journal highlights a community’s fight against America’s largest
meat producer, Tyson Foods.
Tyson Foods has announced plans to construct a $320 million
chicken production plant and slaughterhouse in Leavenworth County, Kansas. The blueprints call for 300 to 400 poultry grow houses and a chicken hatchery, feed mill, and meatpacking plant. But nearby residents, who are mostly farmers
themselves, are fighting back against the massive company’s plans.
At a rally last week, dozens of community members gathered to
demonstrate, urging city officials to deny the permits for the proposed chicken
factory.
Resident Joyce Williams, who manages a ranch near
Tonganoxie, said that waste from raising millions of chickens would pollute
both water and soil since chicken farms usually spray waste onto fields as
fertilizer. She’s particularly concerned about the antibiotics given to
chickens to enable them to survive their confined living conditions. She added,
“Their chicken feed has to be laced with it. They’re going to offer that to
people to put on pastures. It stinks.
The community has reason to be concerned, especially
considering Tyson’s egregious record of abusing animals, exploiting workers,
and destroying the environment.
A report by Environment America found that Tyson Foods is
responsible for dumping
more toxic pollution into our waterways than companies like ExxonMobil and
Dow Chemical.
As for their employees, Tyson is infamous for unfair labor
practices, particularly toward undocumented workers, often forcing employees to
work long hours in hazardous conditions. A report by BuzzFeed News found that on
average, one Tyson employee a month is injured
by equipment and loses a finger or limb.
But factory farming isn’t just bad for people and the
environment; it’s hell on earth for animals.
Mercy For Animals’ multiple undercover investigations at Tyson
chicken farms have shown thousands of birds living in deplorable conditions and
many being thrown around and beaten.
A 2015 undercover investigation at a Tyson farm revealed
workers violently punching, throwing, and otherwise maliciously torturing
animals. The secret video also showed improperly shackled chickens missing the
kill blade and having their heads ripped off while still conscious and able to
feel pain.
No one wants to live
near a factory farm. By choosing delicious vegan foods, we can stand up for vulnerable communities, spare
countless animals a life of misery, and stop wasting resources.
Click here for delicious recipes, tips on
making the switch, and more!