The factory farm industry is so full of bad actors it’s tough to say who’s the worst.

But Tyson Foods (NYSE: TSN) surely belongs at or near the top of the list.

Besides Tyson’s well-documented animal abuse record, its callous disregard for the safety of its employees, and its role as one of this country’s worst polluters, Tyson is also actively lobbying to prevent Congress from passing legislation that would provide basic protections for the farmers who raise the animals, under contract, destined for Tyson’s processing plants.

Why? So Tyson Foods Chairman John Tyson can protect his billions in profits.

Over the years, the farmers who work for Tyson have watched their incomes drop, while Tyson himself has been feathering his nest thanks to higher and higher profit margins. Tyson doesn’t even pay farmers enough to meet their operating costs. Of growers whose sole source of income is chicken farming, 71 percent of are living below the poverty line.

New but yet-to-be-enacted rules under the Packers and Stockyards Act would help protect farmers who supply chicken to Tyson. But if Tyson has its way, those rules will never see the light of day.

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to stop the Tyson Foods Anti-Farmer Act!