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Revision as of 08:23, 21 July 2007 editCerejota (talk \| contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers15,178 edits there is no dispute, as it was conclusively proven that the term "factory farming" is the only viable one. Please do not disrupt wikipedia to make a point.← Previous edit		Latest revision as of 02:22, 5 November 2013 edit undoJytdog (talk \| contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers187,951 edits more neutral name; moving whole suite of 3 articles to this paradigm
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	]s are confined during pregnancy in 2 ft by 7 ft ]<ref name=Kaufmann>Kaufmann, Mark. , ''The Washington Post'', January 26, 2007.</ref> because, according to pork producers and many veterinarians, sows will fight if housed in pens. The largest pork producer in the U.S. said in January 2007 that it will phase out gestation crates by 2017.<ref name=Kaufmann/> They are being phased out in the ], with a ban effective in 2013 after the fourth week of pregnancy.<ref>, The Humane Society of the United States, January 6, 2006.</ref>]]

	'''Factory farming''' is a system or method of '''intensive animal farming'''<ref>Turner, Jacky. , United Nations</ref> involving the raising of farm animals characterised by confinement of the animals at high stocking density, often in barren and unnatural conditions.<ref name=Kaufmann/><ref name=mc1>, BBC News, November 29, 2000.</ref> The widespread practice aims to maximize profits by relying on economies of scale, modern machinery, biotechnology, and ]. To increase the yield, synthetic ] may be used to speed growth, while ]s and ]s mitigate the spread of disease exacerbated by crowded living conditions.<ref>"Factory farming," ''Encyclopaedia Britannica'', 2007.</ref>

	Proponents of factory farming argue that it makes food production more efficient; that the animals are looked after in state-of-the-art confinement facilities and are content;<ref name=Scully258>Scully, Matthew. ''Dominion'', St. Martin's Griffin, 2002, p. 258.</ref> that it is needed to feed the growing global human population; and that it protects the environment.<ref name=Avery1997>Avery, Dennis. "Big Hog Farms Help the Environment," ''Des Moines Register'', December 7, 1997, cited in Scully, Matthew. ''Dominion'', St. Martin's Griffin, p. 30.</ref> Opponents argue that factory farming harms the environment, creates health risks,<ref name=mc0>Harden, Blaine. , ''The Washington Post'', December 28, 2003.</ref><ref name=CAFOCDCP/><ref name=hogs1>McBride, A. Dennis. , North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, December 7, 1998.</ref> and abuses animals.<ref name=Kaufmann/> The practice has become increasingly unpopular in Europe; Dr ] then ], called for an end to factory farming in 2000 in response to Europe's ] crisis,<ref name=mc1/> which British scientists blamed on methods associated with factory farming.<ref name=mc2>, CNN/Reuters, December 4, 2000.</ref><ref name=BBC1965>, BBC News, December 1, 1965, with a more recent (undated) summary of the context.</ref>

	==Origin of the term and history of the practice==
	===The term===
	The origin of the term ''factory farm'' is not clear, although the ] attributes the first recorded use to an American journal of economics in 1890.<ref></ref> It is now used widely by mainstream news organizations. A 1998 documentary, '']'', shows the term is also used within the agricultural industry. The term appears to be regarded as "activist terminology" in a farmers' publication<ref></ref>. ''Webster's New Millennium'' defines it as "a system of large-scale industrialized and intensive agriculture that is focused on profit with animals kept indoors and restricted in mobility."<ref>, Webster's ''New Millennium Dictionary of English'', Preview Edition (v 0.9.6). Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. (accessed: April 04, 2007).</ref> In the U.S., factory farms are also known as confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs),<ref>, Library of Michigan Bibliography.</ref> concentrated animal feeding operations,<ref name=WW2006>"State of the World 2006," Worldwatch Institute, p. 26.</ref><ref name=CAFOCDCP>, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Department of Health and Human Services.</ref> or intensive livestock operations (ILOs).<ref name=ilo1>.</ref> Encyclopaedia Britannica describes the term as "descriptive of standard farming practice in the U.S." and that the term "is frequently used by animal-rights activists"<ref></ref>.

	===The practice===
	Innovations in agriculture beginning in the late 1800s paralleled developments in ] in other industries. The identification of ] and ] as critical factors in plant growth led to the manufacture of synthetic ]s, making possible more intensive types of agriculture. The discovery of ]s and their role in animal ], in the first two decades of the ], led to vitamin supplements, which in the 1920s allowed certain livestock to be raised indoors. {{Fact\|date=July 2007}} The discovery of ]s and ]s facilitated raising livestock in larger numbers by reducing disease. Chemicals developed for use in ] gave rise to synthetic ]s. Developments in shipping networks and technology have made long-distance distribution of agricultural produce feasible.

	According to the ], factory farming in Britain began in 1947 when a new Agriculture Act granted subsidies to farmers to encourage greater output by introducing new technology, in order to reduce Britain's reliance on imported meat. The United Nations writes that intensification of animal production was seen as a way of providing food security.<ref>, United Nations.</ref> The agriculture correspondent of ''The Guardian'' wrote in 1964:

	{{quotation\|Factory farming, whether we like it or not, has come to stay. The tide will not be held back, either by the humanitarian outcry of well meaning but sometimes misguided animal lovers, by the threat implicit to traditional farming methods, or by the sentimental approach to a rural way of life. In a year which has been as uneventful on the husbandry side as it has been significant in economic and political developments touching the future of food procurement, the more far-seeing would name the growth of intensive farming as the major development.<ref>Baker, Stanley. , ''The Guardian'', December 29, 1964.</ref>}}

	More farming subsidies were granted by the 1967 Agriculture Act. In 1973, Britain joined the ] (EEC), now the ]. The EEC's ] (CAP) provided more subsidies still, which were heavily criticized as a cause of over-production, famously creating so-called beef and butter mountains throughout the 1980s.<ref name=BBC1965/>

	Although Europe has become increasingly skeptical about the benefits of factory farming, after a series of diseases such as ] (mad cow) and ] affected its agricultural industries, globally there are indications that the industrialized production of farm animals is set to increase. According to Denis Avery of the ], Asia increased its consumption of pork by 18 million tons in the 1990s.<ref name=Avery1997>Avery, Dennis. "Big Hog Farms Help the Environment," ''Des Moines Register'', December 7, 1997, cited in Scully, Matthew. ''Dominion'', St. Martin's Griffin, p. 30.</ref> As of 1997, the world had a stock of 900 million pigs, which Avery predicts will rise to 2.5 billion pigs by 2050.<ref name=Avery1997/> He told the ] at the ] that three billion pigs will thereafter be needed annually to meet demand.<ref name=Averyaddress>Avery, Denis. "Commencement address," University of California, Berkeley, College of Natural Resources, May 21, 2000, cited in Scully, Matthew. ''Dominion'', St. Martin's Griffin, p. 30.</ref> He writes: "For the sake of the environment, we had better hope those hogs are raised in big, efficient confinement systems."<ref name=Avery1997/>

	===Scale, productivity and reduction of workforce===

	The practice of factory farming is currently widespread. Agricultural production across the world doubled four times between 1820 and 1975<ref>It doubled between 1820 and 1920; between 1920 and 1950; between 1950 and 1965; and again between 1965 and 1975. Scully, Matthew. ''Dominion'', St. Martin's Griffin, p. 29.</ref> to feed a global population of one billion human beings in 1800 and 6.5 billion in 2002.<ref name=Scully29>Scully, Matthew. ''Dominion'', St. Martin's Griffin, p. 29.</ref> During the same period, the number of people involved in farming dropped as the process became more automated. In the 1930s, 24 percent of the American population worked in agriculture compared to 1.5 percent in 2002; in 1940, each farm worker supplied 11 consumers, whereas in 2002, each worker supplied 90 consumers.<ref name=Scully29/> The number of farms has also decreased, and their ownership is more concentrated. In the U.S., four companies — including ], the tobacco company — produce 81 percent of cows, 73 percent of sheep, 57 percent of pigs and 50 percent of chickens.<ref>Testimony by Leland Swenson, president of the U.S. National Farmers' Union, before the House Judiciary Committee, September 12, 2000.</ref> In 1967, there were one million pig farms in America; as of 2002, there were 114,000,<ref>Shen, Fern. "Md. Hog Farm Causing Quite a Stink," ''The Washington Post'', May 23, 1999; and Plain, Ronald L. "Trends in U.S. Swine Industry," U.S. Meat Export Federation Conference, September 24, 1997, cited in Scully, Matthew. ''Dominion'', St. Martin's Griffin, p. 29.</ref> with 80 million pigs (out of 95 million) killed each year on factory farms as of 2002, according to the U.S. National Pork Producers Council.<ref name=Scully29/> According to the ], 74 percent of the world's poultry, 43 percent of beef, and 68 percent of eggs are produced this way.<ref name=WW2006/>

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	Factory farms hold large numbers (some up to hundreds of thousands) of animals, typically cows, hogs, turkeys, or chickens, usually indoors. The aim of the operation is to produce as much meat, eggs, or milk at the lowest possible cost. Food is supplied in place, and artificial methods are employed to maintain animal health and improve production, such as the use of antimicrobial agents, vitamin supplements, and growth hormones. Growth hormones are not used in chicken meat production. {{Fact\|date=June 2007}} Physical restraints are used, such as chicken debeaking, to control behavior regarded as undesirable.

	The distinctive characteristic of factory farms is the intense concentration of livestock. At one farm (Farm 2105) run by Carrolls Foods of North Carolina, the second-largest pig producer in the U.S., twenty pigs are kept per pen and each confinement building or "hog parlor" holds 25 pens.<ref name=Scully259>Scully, Matthew. ''Dominion'', St. Martin's Griffin, pp. 259.</ref> As of 2002, the company kills one million pigs every 12 days.<ref name=Scully258>Scully, Matthew. ''Dominion'', St. Martin's Griffin, 2002, p. 258.</ref> Carrolls, which is owned by ], switched to total confinement in 1974. The company's chief executive officer, F.J. "Sonny" Faison, has said: "It's all a supply-and-demand price question ... The meat business in this country is just about perfect, uncontrolled supply-and-demand free enterprise. And it continues to get more and more sophisticated, based on science. Only the least-cost producer survives in agriculture."<ref name=Scully255>Scully, Matthew. ''Dominion'', St. Martin's Griffin, 2002, pp. 255-256.</ref> The animals are better off in total confinement, according to Faison:

	{{Quotation\|They're in state-of-the-art confinement facilities. The conditions that we keep these animals in are much more humane than when they were out in the field. Today they're in housing that is environmentally controlled in many respects. And the feed is right there for them all the time, and water, fresh water. They're looked after in some of the best conditions, because the healthier and content that animal, the better it grows. So we're very interested in their well-being — up to an extent.<ref name=Scully258/>}}

	===Environmental issues===
	The designation "confined animal feeding operation" in the U.S. resulted from that country's 1972 Federal Clean Water Act, which was enacted to protect and restore lakes and rivers to a "fishable, swimmable" quality. The ] (EPA) identified certain animal feeding operations, along with many other types of industry, as point source polluters of groundwater. These operations were designated as CAFOs and subject to special anti-pollution regulation.<ref>Sweeten, John et al. . MidWest Plan Service, Iowa State University, July 2003.</ref>

	In 24 states in the U.S., isolated cases of ] has been linked to CAFOs.{{Fact\|date=May 2007}} For example, the ten million hogs in North Carolina generate 19 million tons of waste per year.{{Fact\|date=May 2007}} The U.S. federal government acknowledges the ] issue and requires that ] be stored in ]. These lagoons can be as large as 7.5 acres. Lagoons must be protected with an impermeable liner, but can nonetheless leak waste into groundwater under some conditions, and runoff from manure spread back onto fields as fertilizer can leak into surface water in the case of an unforeseen heavy rainfall. A lagoon that burst in 1995 released 25 million gallons of nitrous sludge in North Carolina's New River. The spill allegedly killed eight to ten million fish.<ref>Orlando, Laura. ''McFarms Go Wild'', ''Dollars and Sense'', July/August 1998, cited in Scully, Matthew. ''Dominion'', St. Martin's Griffin, p. 257.</ref>

	Denis Avery of the ]'s agricultural think-tank, the ], has called modern farming a "conservation triumph," because it involves getting higher yields of crops and livestock from land.<ref name=AveryDec1997>"Intensive farming is 'conservation triumph'," ''Chemistry and Industry'', December 1, 1997.</ref> He predicts that, after 2050, three billion pigs will be needed annually to meet demand:<ref name=Averyaddress>Avery, Denis. "Commencement address," University of California, Berkeley, College of Natural Resources, May 21, 2000, cited in Scully, Matthew. ''Dominion'', St. Martin's Griffin, p. 30.</ref> "For the sake of the environment," he writes, "we had better hope those hogs are raised in big, efficient confinement systems."<ref name=Avery1997>Avery, Dennis. "Big Hog Farms Help the Environment," ''Des Moines Register'', December 7, 1997, cited in Scully, Matthew. ''Dominion'', St. Martin's Griffin, p. 30.</ref>
	===Ethical issues===
	According to some, the large concentration of animals, animal waste and dead animals in a small space poses ethical issues. ] and ] activists have charged that intensive animal rearing is cruel to animals. As a result gestation crates, one of the more contentious practices, are the subject of laws in the US<ref></ref>, Europe<ref></ref> and around the world to phase out their use as a result of pressure to adopt less confined practices. Concerns about ] and ground water contamination, and the effects on human health of any pollution and the use of antibiotics and growth hormones, also arise.

	===Health issues===
	One particular problem with farms on which animals are intensively reared is the growth of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Because large numbers of animals are confined in a small space, any disease would spread quickly, and so antibiotics are used preventively. A small percentage of bacteria are not killed by the drugs, which may infect human beings if it becomes airborne.

	According to the U.S. ] (CDC), farms on which animals are intensively reared can cause adverse health reactions in farm workers. Workers may develop acute and chronic lung disease, musculoskeletal injuries, and may catch infections that transmit from animals to human beings.

	The CDC writes that chemical, bacterial, and viral compounds from animal waste may travel in the soil and water. Residents near such farms report nuisances such as odors and flies, as well as adverse health effects.<ref name="CAFOCDCP"/><ref name="hogs1"/>

	The CDC has identified a number of pollutants associated with the discharge of animal waste into rivers and lakes, and into the air. The use of antibiotics may create antibiotic-resistant pathogens; parasites, bacteria, and viruses may be spread; ], ], and ] can reduce oxygen in surface waters and contaminate drinking water; pesticides and hormones may cause hormone-related changes in fish; animal feed and feathers may stunt the growth of desirable plants in surface waters and provide nutrients to disease-causing micro-organisms; trace elements such as ] and ], which are harmful to human health, may contaminate surface waters.<ref name=CAFOCDCP/>

	==Arguments for and against==
	{{main\|Challenges and issues of industrial agriculture}}
	{{farming}}
	===Supporting view===
	Proponents say that large-scale intensive farming is a useful and proven agricultural advance. The argued benefits include:

	*'''Low cost''' — Intensive agriculture tends to produce food that can be sold at lower cost to consumers.
	*'''Efficiency''' — Animals in confinement can be supervised more closely than free-ranging animals, and diseased animals can be treated faster. Further, more efficient production of meat, milk, or eggs results in a need for fewer animals to be raised, thereby limiting the impact of agriculture on the environment.
	*'''Economic contribution''' — The high input costs of agricultural operations result in a large influx and distribution of capital to a rural area from distant buyers rather than simply recirculating existing capital. A single dairy cow contributes over $1300 US to a local rural economy each year, each beef cow over $800, meat turkey $14, and so on. As Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff states, “Research estimates that the annual economic impact per cow is $13,737. In addition, each $1 million increase in PA milk sales creates 23 new jobs. This tells us that dairy farms are good for Pennsylvania's economy.” <ref>Dairy in Pennsylvania: A VITAL ELEMENT FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT</ref>
	*'''Industry is responsible and self-regulating''' — Organizations representing factory farm operators claim to be proactive and self-policing when it comes to improving practices according to the latest food safety and environmental findings.
	*'''Food safety''' — Reducing number and diversity of agricultural production facilities results in easier management. Smaller facility numbers permit easier government oversight and regulation of food quality. Processing foodstuffs through centralized mediums leads to standardization, which protects general food safety, removing unsafe rogue elements.
	*'''Animal health''' — Larger farms have greater resources and abilities to maintain a high level of animal health. Larger farms can make use of expert veterinarians, while smaller non-industrial farms are limited to farmer's ability to care for his livestock. Under certain definitions of industrial agriculture, industrial agriculture also permits the use of antibiotics to prevent and treat diseases, while non-industrial agriculture, to minimize cost and meet certain other goals, often will not prevent or treat bacterial diseases but will instead hope illness clears up without intervention.
	*'''Pollution control''' — Large farms can maintain and operate sophisticated systems to control waste products. Smaller farms are unable to maintain the same standards of pollution control. By consolidating waste products, farmers can efficiently manage waste.

	Proponents also dispute the food borne illness argument. They note the fact that '']'' grows naturally in most mammals, including humans, and that only a few strains of ''E. coli'' are potentially hazardous to humans. They also note that diseases naturally occur among chickens and other animals. Properly cooking food can effectively remove risk factors by killing bacteria. Proponents argue that there is widespread demand for a cheap, reliable source of meat.

	===Opposing view===
	Opponents say that factory farming is cruel,<ref>, PETA</ref><ref>Comis, Don, USDA Agricultural Research Service. "." in Agricultural Research. March 2005. p. 4-7.</ref><ref>Smith, Lewis W., USDA Agricultural Research Service. “” in Agricultural Research. March 2005. p. 2.</ref> that it poses health risks, and that it causes ] damage.

	In 2003, a ] publication stated that "factory farming methods are creating a web of food safety, animal welfare, and environmental problems around the world, as large agribusinesses attempt to escape tighter environmental restrictions in the European Union and the U.S. by moving their animal production operations to less developed countries." <ref>Nierenberg, Danielle. '''' ''World Watch Magazine'': May/June 2003.</ref>

	Arguments include:
	*'''Mad Cow Disease''' — Factory farming techniques may lead to a higher incidence of ], also known as mad cow disease, which in turn is claimed to cause ] in humans.<ref name=mc0/> In light of recently discovered cases of mad cow disease, Germany's chancellor, Dr ], called for a stop of the practice of factory farming, asking instead for a more 'consumer-friendly' policy,<ref name="mc2" /> while British scientists called for farmers move away from intensive agriculture, saying the end of factory farming was the only way to kill mad cow disease.<ref name=mc2/>

	*'''Other diseases''' — ] may lead to ]. In natural environments, animals are seldom crowded into as high a population density. Disease spreads rapidly in densely populated areas. Animals raised on antibiotics are breeding ] strains of various ] ("superbugs").<ref>'', ''ScienceDaily'', July 5, 2005.</ref> Use of animal vaccines can create new viruses that kill people and cause ] threats. ] is an example of where this might have already occurred.<ref>Webster, Robert G. , CDC.</ref><ref>{{cite news\|url=http://www.noticiasfinancieras.com/v2/client/modules/search/office.php?id=ODg2MnwxfDIwMDctMDItMjAgMTM6MDQ6NDF8\|title= Factory farms are responsible for bird flu, according to a new report\|publisher=NF News\|date=], ]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news\|url=http://www.commondreams.org/headlines07/0221-03.htm\|title= Report Blames Factory Farms for Bird Flu\|publisher=IPS\|author=Stephen Leahy\|date=], ]}}</ref>
	*'''Air and water pollution''' — Large quantities and concentrations of waste are produced.<ref>{{cite web \| title=Facts about Pollution from Livestock Farms \| work=National Resource Defense Council \| url=http://www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/ffarms.asp \| accessdate=2006-05-30}}</ref> ]s, ]s, and ] are at risk when animal waste is improperly recycled. Pollutant gases are also emitted. Contaminants such as dust or foul smells can pollute air.
	*'''Ethics''' — ]: Crowding, drugging, and performing surgery on animals. Chicks are ] hours after hatching, commonly by slicing off the beak. Confining hens and pigs in barren environments leads to physical problems such as ] and joint pain, and also boredom and frustration, as shown by repetitive or self-destructive actions known as stereotypes.<ref>, European Commission, and , European Food Safety Authority (7-Mar-2005)</ref>
	*'''Resource overuse''' — Concentrated populations of animals require a commensurately large amount of ] and are depleting ] in some areas. {{Fact\|date=February 2007}}
	*'''Destruction of Biodiversity''' — Industrial farming wipes out large areas of land to house a single variation of one species, usually foreign to the region, thus eliminating the entire local ecosystem.
	*'''Tracking''' — With the intensive farming system it is difficult to track the source of food, let alone food borne disease, back to particular animals. Sometimes food purchased on one side of the country may have been produced on the other side. Hamburger meat may contain the meat of as many as 1000 cows.<ref> Scholosser, Eric, interview with Morgan Spurlock;</ref> This causes concern among consumers concerning the origin of foods and among government officials concerning the origin of disease. The ] is one proposed way the USDA is attempting to remedy this problem. With "traditional" farming techniques this problem is eliminated because the consumer can buy directly from the producer. <ref>Schlosser, Eric, Fast Food Nation; </ref><ref>Eisnitz, Gail, Slaughterhouse: The Shocking Story of Greed, Neglect, and Inhumane Treatment Inside the U.S. Meat Industry</ref>This can lead to other problems, however, as food purchased directly from farmers does not have to be processed according to industrial standards and undergoes no official quality evaluation.

	== See also ==
	{{commonscat\|Industrial agriculture}}
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	==Sources and notes==
	{{reflist\|2}}

	==Further reading ==
	<!--A list of sources for editors' use that specifically use the term "factory farming" can be found at ]-->
	*, BBC News, March 6, 2001.
	*, CBC News, July 28, 2000.
	*, ''USA Today'', April 1, 2007.
	* - from the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
	*, Independent commission studying the effects of intensive animal production.
	*, BBC News, November 29, 2000.
	*, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
	*Bernstein, Mark H. ''Without a Tear: Our Tragic Relationship With Animals''. University of Illinois Press, 2004. ISBN 0252071980
	*Brooman, Simon & Legge, Debbi. ''Law Relating To Animals''. Cavendish Publishing. ISBN 1843141299
	*Harden, Blaine. , ''The Washington Post'', December 28, 2003.
	*Lorenzten, Amy. , ''The Washington Post/AP, May 10, 2007.
	*Nikiforuk, Andrew. "When Water Kills: Dangerous Consequences of Factory Farming in Canada." ''Maclean's''. 113:24 (June 12, 2000): 18-21.
	*O'Brien, Tim. "Factory Farming and Human Health." ''The Ecologist''. 31:5 (June 2001 supplement): 30-4, 58-9.
	*Spira, Henry. "Less Meat, Less Misery: Reforming Factory Farms." Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy. 11 (Spring 1996): 39-44.

	;Proponents
	*, article on case studies of the impact of large scale agriculture
	*, Farm and Ranchers association
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	;Opponents
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	* resources for consumers
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	* - Article with links to photos and videos of factory farming
	* - Video of Foie Gras production
	* Promoting sustainable, responsible, and ethical animal husbandry
	* from The Humane Society of the United States
	* - Video of hens in battery cages at various intensive egg farming facilities. (2/4/06)
	* - a parody of '']''
	* - the second installment of the Meatrix parodying ''The Matrix''
	* - a PETA-produced factory farm tour narrated by ]
	*Cruelty of factory-farming and revolutionary future solutions (meat without livestock)
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	* - Undercover investigation of a Tyson Foods processing plant.

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