2020年12月1日 · Factory farms, also known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), are a modern industrial method of raising farmed animals, who are collectively known in industry parlance as livestock. At its core, factory farming is a form of intensive agriculture designed to maximize profits using as few resources as possible.

Factory farms as the systems of large-scale confinement we know today began in the United States with the industrial raising of chickens. From early experiments in the 1920s, the practice of keeping vast numbers of animals confined in small spaces and delivering feed to them has spread to countries throughout the world.

factory farms pollute air, water and soil; uproot social structures; drive farmers out of business; and threaten the quality of life. Excerpted from Brad Trom‟s opinion-editorial entitled, “Say no to factory farms: health and prosperity of rural communities at stake,” printed on February 28, 2005, in The Grand Forks Herald.

2024年2月26日 · In a few generations, factory farming — the set of economic, genetic, chemical, and pharmaceutical innovations that enabled humanity to raise tens of billions of animals for food every year —...

2025年1月14日 · Factory farming’s political and cultural influence, and its impacts on American life, explained.

2025年1月9日 · Today, almost three-quarters of Americans report discomfort with factory farming and consider it one of the most pressing social issues. So, why do these facilities still exist, why are they...

2025年1月14日 · Factory farming, often seen as a controversial subject, has played a crucial role in shaping America’s economic and social landscape. This intensive agricultural practice, characterized by the mass production of livestock and crops, has transformed the way food is produced, distributed, and consumed across the country.

Nearly 10 billion animals are killed for human consumption each year in the United States. 99% are raised on factory farms, which maximize agribusiness profits at the expense of the animals, the environment, social justice, and public health. Hunting and gathering was Homo sapiens’ food system for almost 90 percent of human history.

Factory farms continue to take over the agricultural landscape of the United States. There are currently 1.6 billion animals in our nation’s 25 thousand factory farms (see Figure 1 on page 2). Together, these animals produce an estimated 885 billion pounds of manure each year, pol-luting our air and water and releasing climate-warming emissions.

The known and mapped 18,500 factory farms in the United States produce an approximated 300 million tons of waste on an annual basis. Manure from factory farms is stored in large pits, stockpiles, or lagoons (as shown in the image above), waiting to …