In an organic farming, optimal conditions of the animals in the areas of feeding and husbandry with the focus on their well-being are the guiding principle. Industrially oriented agriculture does not meet the criteria for animal-friendly husbandry, since profitable yields and not the animal are in the foreground.
Animals are kept in confined spaces with little freedom of movement, forcing them to stand in loose housing systems. This causes stress as well as frequent injuries – abrasions, bruises, broken bones – to the animals. Since the wounds are not detected or treated due to the crowds, the animals’ immune systems are weakened and they become more susceptible to diseases such as infectious, metabolic, invasive diseases and parasite infestations. In addition, animal health is attacked by insufficient exercise, which manifests itself in the form of reduced muscle, tendon, and bone formation, because only with sufficient exercise can metabolism, circulation, and digestive activity function optimally. Finally, the lack of exercise results in poor quality meat from the animals, which contains hardly any muscle meat but plenty of fat.
Most animals fattened in industrial meat production are treated with hormones and antibiotics, because the dense animal population in the barn increases the risk of diseases spreading like an epidemic and leading to high economic losses. The injected “hormones” reach the body tissues through the blood and accelerate the animal’s weight and muscle gain. The hormones are transferred to humans through animal food – through meat, dairy products and eggs – and can cause hormonal fluctuations in the human body. The male sex hormone testosterone has been detected in some animal products, which has been implicated in changes in reproductive ability and sexual behavior in humans. Antibiotics are routinely used to protect animals from bacterial infections or to treat them preventively to promote growth.
As a result of the administration of antibiotics, bacteria in animal and human organisms develop resistance over time, i.e. they change genetically and become resistant. This makes the treatment of serious diseases such as meningitis and other infectious diseases more difficult, as an increasing number of patients no longer respond to life-saving antibiotic treatments and therefore no suitable antibiotics are available. As bacteria become more resistant to various antibiotics, it becomes more difficult for medical professionals to effectively treat serious bacterial diseases.
The way animals are fed contributes to the nutrient and vital substance (macro and micronutrient) deficiencies in our food. The extremely pale veal that many breeders and consumers consider desirable is achieved by feeding milk replacer, which does not contain iron. Iron is an important vital substance (micronutrient) for blood formation. Feeding low in vital nutrients makes the animals more susceptible to disease and in turn gives them high doses of antibiotics. As a result, the veal reaches the consumer low in vital nutrients and of inadequate quality.
