Food & Agriculture Organization

         Animals and products derived from them have been imported and exported since colonial times when people started traveling long distances to different parts of the world. Years later, due to the advancements during the Industrial Revolution, the food industry experienced significant growth. Long-distance railroads, refrigerated rail cars, and electricity all paved the way for this growing enterprise. In the late 1800s, countries such as the United States started to implement legislation with the purpose of eradicating livestock diseases and preventing them from being sold to the public. After World War II it experienced a great increase in production when companies moved to mechanized plants in rural areas to cut down on costs. Although there were government laws that sought to ensure that animals were marketed the best as possible, the conditions in which these were handled were atrocious. Concerns about diseases in animals were fading but until the 1960s the first animal-advocacy groups started surfacing.  On the other hand, business owners in trying to minimize costs were not concerned at all for animal welfare.