Meat is prodduced by the meat industry. The termmeat industrydescribes modernindustrializedlivestockagriculturefor production,packing,preservationandmarketingofmeat(in contrast todairyproducts,wool, etc.). Ineconomics, it is a fusion of primary (agriculture) and secondary (industry) activity and hard to characterize strictly in terms of either one alone. The greater part of the entire meat industry is termedmeat packing industry- the segment that handles theslaughtering, processing, packaging, and distribution of animals such ascattle,pigs,sheepand other livestock.
A great portion of the ever-growing meat branch in thefood industryinvolvesintensive animal farmingin which livestock are kept almost entirely indoorsor in restricted outdoor settings likepens. Many aspects of the raising of animals for meat have become industrialized, even many practices more associated with smallerfamily farms, e.g.gourmetfoods such asfoie gras.The production of livestock is a heavilyvertically integratedindustry where the majority ofsupply chainstages are integrated and owned by one company.
