Number of Animals on US Factory Farms Has Increased by Nearly 50% In the Last 20 Years
New government data has revealed an alarming increase in factory farms, which now produce twice the sewage of the entire US population.
Credit: Andrew Skowron/We Animals Media
New government figures about America’s farming industry have revealed how more animals are being raised on controversial factory farms than ever before.
There are currently 1.7 billion animals confined to factory farms - a near 50 percent increase in the last 20 years when compared to figures from 2002. The latest figures are sourced from USDA’s 2022 Census of Agriculture, which is published every five years by the government to help give a comprehensive look at the country’s farming sector.
The census, published this week, features details about more than a million farmers across the US as well as agricultural activity for each state, and compiles it into a 700-page report.
Non-profit group Food & Water Watch analyzed the data and reported several key findings, including an increase in the number of confined animals, more waste generated than ever before from factory farms, and fewer family-scale farms.
A common thread throughout the analysis is the impact of how America’s farming industry has increasingly moved away from small- and family-scale farms, and instead towards large-sized mega farms which are usually corporate-owned and thrive on taxpayer subsidies.
A mega-dairy in Arizona. Credit: Ram Daya/We Animals Media
Factory farms, referred to in the industry as ‘concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO’s)’, have long been controversial for a variety of reasons including low animal welfare standards and negative environmental impacts. Typically, a single farm can raise thousands of animals, who are kept in cramped spaces where they have little-to-no access to the outside, and often cannot perform many natural behaviors. The waste from such operations can also cause problems for the local environment, as well as the planet-warming emissions associated with animal agriculture.
The latest census data shows that the US now has 24,000 factory farms. Together, these farms produce 940 billion pounds of manure each year - which is twice as much as the sewage produced by the entire US population.
“America today is truly a factory farming nation,” Amanda Starbuck, Research Director at Food & Water Watch, said in a statement about the latest census. “As industrial confinements drive family-scale farmers off their land, we are left with skyrocketing numbers of animals on factory farms producing enormous amounts of waste. The benefits flow to private coffers while our communities and environment are left holding the bag.”
Credit: Jo-Anne McArthur/We Animals Media
Campaigners say that solving the issue relies on reforming the farming industry to counter the increase in factory farms owned by huge multinational corporations. Food & Water Watch are among hundreds of farm, food, and environmental advocacy groups who are calling for Congress to pass the Farm System Reform Act.
The Act, which has received support from Senators including Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker, would ban new large-scale factory farms, whilst phasing out existing ones by 2040.
The bill would also introduce more regulations for factory farms, such as holding their corporations responsible for any environmental damage they cause, and prohibiting the Department of Agriculture from labeling imported meat as a “Product of USA”.
“What’s motivating me is that I think we need to really sound the alarm in America”, Booker previously said about the act. “Everybody is losing in this system - except for the massive corporations that have taken over the American food system”.
We Have A Favor To Ask…
Species Unite amplifies well-researched solutions to some of the most abusive animal industries operating today.
At this crucial moment, with worldwide momentum for change building, it’s vital we share these animal-free solutions with the world - and we need your help.
We’re a nonprofit, and so to keep sharing these solutions, we’re relying on you - with your support, we can continue our essential work in growing a powerful community of animal advocates this year.
