World Farmed Animals Day 2025 | World Day for Farmed Animals |Benefits of Factory Farming

World Farmed Animals Day is celebrated every year on 2^nd October in honor of Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday. This global awareness day highlights the suffering of billions of farmed animals raised for food in factory farming or Industrial farming or Intensive farming worldwide. The day also called World day for farmed animals. The day mainly focuses on animal welfare. Moreover, the day advocates for stronger animal rights and welfare laws. In addition, WDFA also focuses on, how artificial intelligence & smart farming technologies can improve animal welfare. Besides criticism, there are the Benefits of Factory Farming.

Why World Farmed Animals Day is celebrated?

World Farmed Animals Day also called World Day for Farmed Animals launched by Alex Hershaft through the organisation Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM) in 1983. World Farmed Animals Day celebrated to educate society about Farmed Animals rights. The day also highlights that farmed animals deserve respect, dignity, and care. Although animal farming is a source of food and the economy but animals at the farm face various issues. Moreover, hard critics of the livestock farming also exist, calling it factory farming. This is also called industrial farming or intensive farming.

History of World Day for Farmed Animals

However, these farming systems mainly raise cows, chickens, goats, and fish. Animal rights activists criticise this farming system due to overcrowded and stressful environment for these animals.  Moreover, they also condemn the practices of debeaking, tail docking, and confining animals in cages. Therefore, this World Day for Farmed Animals raises awareness to unite for animals welfare and animals rights

Know the difference between Animal Welfare and Animal Rights

Why Do Animal Welfare Organizations Oppose Farming of Animals?

Animal welfare organizations strongly oppose intensive farming or Factory Farming. They oppose it due to its negative impact on animals and environment. The main objective of factory farming is to maximize profit even at the cost of animal well-being. Therefore, farmers sometimes keep animals in overcrowded sheds where the animals cannot express their natural behaviors. Moreover, animals may also face stress, health issues, and different types of injuries in this situation. Furthermore, the irrational use of antibiotics also causes drug resistance and food safety issues.

Critics of animal farming also raise the issues related to climate change, deforestation, and water pollution. They urge the use of plant based diet.

Benefits of Factory Farming – Counter Narrative

Although factory farming is criticised by animal rights activists, but benefits of factory farming can never be ignored. It has an important role in food production. It produces meat, milk, eggs, and other products in higher quantity in a short time. Moreover, it ensures a consistent supply of food to meet the emerging demand of growing world population. More importantly, large scale farming lowers the cost of production, which has positive economic effects. It provides cheaper and more accessible food for everyone. Furthermore, it also provides protein to meet the nutritional requirements of the human population.

As an important part of agriculture, the livestock sector also contributes to the global economy. It directly supports the food security and livelihoods of nearly 1.3 billion population. It is among fastest growing sectors in agriculture. However, factory farming increases the efficiency of growth and lowers the food costs. Farmers commonly use high quality feed and stress free environment to maximize production. This approach not only increases the production but also minimizes animal welfare issues. Recycling of farm waste also has positive effects on the environment.

History of World Animal Day

Editor In Chief

Dr. Jassar Aftab is a qualified Veterinarian having expertise in veterinary communication. He is a renowned veterinary Journalist of Pakistan. He is veterinary columnist, veterinary writer and veterinary analyst. He is the author of three books. He has written a number of articles and columns on different topics related to livestock, dairy, poultry, wildlife, fisheries, food security and different aspects of animal sciences and veterinary education.

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