What are CAFO’s?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines a CAFO as a “a production process that concentrates large numbers of animals in relatively small and confined places, and that substitutes structures and equipment for land and labor.”

CAFO’s, or Concentrated (or Confined) Animal Feeding Operations claim they have the clear benefit of maximizing the yield of its beef, chickens, eggs, pork, etc. Compared to the family farm or even a large scale ranch, these producers say the output of a typical CAFO will dwarf what a conventional producer will send to market. Many argue that CAFO’s are the only way food production can be brought to the scale necessary to feed the world’s growing population. But according to the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production “we are raising approximately the same number of swine as we did in 1950, we are doing so on significantly fewer, far larger farms, with dramatically fewer farm workers.” See Philpott as well.

If this were a wellness newsletter or one concerned about animal cruelty much could be written on the effects of CAFO’s on human health and animal abuse. Here are some of the environmental consequences of raising animals on factory farms:

• The animals’ waste is stored in open lagoons and is so concentrated it can foul the surrounding air, water, and land

• Excess nitrogen and phosphorus in these lagoons contribute to low levels of dissolved oxygen, often resulting in fish kills and toxic algae blooms. In addition the wastes can include sediments, pathogens, heavy metals, hormones, ammonia, and pesticides

• Spills from the lagoons discharge these pollutants into the environment

• CAFO’s can degrade healthy water resources and drinking water can become contaminated as many of these facilities are on flood plains or close to communities that utilize well water

• The USDA has reported that the manure produced by CAFO’s exceeds human waste by a factor of 3

• Air quality degrades from these CAFO’s; toxic gases, odorous substances, and pathogens can contribute to respiratory problems in workers and nearby residents

• Ultimately the waste must be removed, and application of untreated animal waste on cropland adds to surface water contamination

• CAFO’s employ disproportionately high levels of fossil fuels, using as much as 35 times the equivalent energy as the food energy produced

Investigative reporters have exposed some of the worst of these practices, prompting the industry to urge legislation in Florida, Minnesota, Iowa and other states prohibiting photographing or videotaping these farms. None have become law as yet.

Can a conscientious consumer avoid CAFO products? Determining the source of the meat in a hamburger, especially from a fast food restaurant is not easy. For meals at home, many local supermarkets are now advertising “grass fed beef or pasture raised cows”. If not, ask the store manager to carry these products. Doing so and trying to avoid the production from CAFO’s will make life better and healthier for the environment, the animals and you.