Britain is reaching a crossroads, as we lurch towards the introduction of gigantic American style factory farms. It is a transition that once started will be almost impossible to stop.

Plans are due to be resubmitted shortly for what would Europe's largest ever dairy farm, where over 8,000 cattle will be kept inside nearly all year. No meadows for them, just a maze of metal and stone.

The pig industry is also becoming more intensive with what is set to be Britain's largest ever pig farm. Again, these animals – who in the wild enjoy rooting and wander for miles – will never see the outside. If plans for this go ahead it will house well over 20,000 pigs at any one time. The company behind this has boasted that there will be no animals left in the British countryside within 10 years.

They are closely following the American farming model; so intensive that it has brought untold misery, pollution and disruption for those people unlucky enough to live near them. Local people are rightly worried, but this should be of concern to us all. Consumers will have no way of telling if the meat or milk they buy comes from places like this.

However, it would be wrong to think that we don't have intensive farming in the UK already. Almost all chickens raised for meat are kept in vast sheds, and pigs are already mostly farmed indoors in factories. However, the sheer scale of these new proposals across the UK is staggering. They are literally popping up near small communities, and the next one could be on your doorstep.

We are trying to stop the spread of this across the UK. Please join the growing number of people saying "No!" to factory farming.

Of course, the best way to stop this in its tracks is to withdraw your custom — and the best way to do that is to go veggie.

Justin Kerswell

Viva! campaigns manager

York Court, Wilder Street

Bristol