Content guide
Infrastructure
Defining Industrial Animal Agriculture | components and characteristics of the industrial animal ag system
Defining AFOs & CAFOs | federal and state designations of AFOs and CAFOs
Defining Factory Farms | what constitutes a “factory farm” / distinguished from CAFO
Total Number of AFOs and CAFOs | estimates of the number of AFOs and CAFOs in the U.S.
Total Number of Factory Farms | analysis of the number of factory farms in the U.S. / by animal type
Factory Farm Locations | concentration of CAFOs by state / by animal type
Poultry Factory Farm Sizes | typical number of birds confined in a shed / on a factory farm
Pig Factory Farm Sizes | typical number of pigs confined in a shed / on a factory farm
Slaughterhouse Numbers & Locations | number of slaughterhouses / numbers slaughtered by state, by animal type / number of processing & rendering facilities
Slaughterhouse Capacities | number / type of animals / slaughter rate at typical plants
Slaughterhouse Line Speeds | federal line speed regulations / slaughter vs. processing lines by animal type
Economics
An Economic Perspective | economic characteristics of animal ag / industry size vs. damages created
Animal Ag Commodities | commodity production and cost reduction as drivers of the industry
Externalities Overview | centrality of negative externalities in agricultural and commodity production
Animal Ag Externalities | categories and significance of the industry’s negative externalities
Animal Numbers
Animals Slaughtered for Food | land animals slaughtered for food / by animal type
Poultry Death Before Slaughter | broilers, layers, male chicks, turkeys killed or dying before slaughter /death rate
Livestock Death Before Slaughter | pigs, cattle, sheep killed or dying before slaughter / death rate
Total Animals Slaughtered & Dying | collective land animal death / overall death rate
Animal Deaths Per Capita | annual land animal death per capita U.S. / total and by animal type
Percentage of Farmed Animals on Factory Farms | percentage of animals raised on factory farms / total and by animal type
Animal Life & Treatment
Poultry Housing Conditions & Space Allotments | typical housing / air quality / average space allotments for broilers, egg-laying hens, turkeys
Pig Housing Conditions & Space Allotments | typical housing conditions / average space / size of sow crates
Cattle & Dairy Housing & Space Allotments | feedlots / dairy housing / average space for beef cattle, dairy cows, calves
Poultry Age & Weight at Slaughter | age & weight at slaughter / broilers, layers, turkeys / trends in slaughter weight
Mutilations & Amputations Overview | purpose/ timing / lack of pain relief
Poultry Mutilations & Amputations | prevalence and practice of beak amputations / other mutilations
Pig Mutilations & Amputations | prevalence and practice of tail amputation / castration / teeth clipping / ear tags
Cattle Mutilations & Amputations | prevalence and practice of castration / dehorning / branding
Dairy Cow Mutilations & Amputations | prevalence and practice of dehorning / teat removal / tail docking / tagging
Biodiversity Loss Figures
Biodiversity Loss Overview | definition / importance / key organizations / human risks
U.S. Biodiversity Loss – The Numbers | U.S. risk of extinction by species, groups, ecosystems / federal oversight
Farmed Animal Biomass and Biodiversity | importance of global animal biomass / farmed animal share of biomass
Drivers of Biodiversity Loss
Animal Ag Drivers of Biodiversity Loss Overview | ranking drivers of biodiversity loss / role of animal ag
Animal Ag Land Use Pressure on Biodiversity | agriculture’s role / animal ag as central driver of habitat loss
Animal Ag Water Use Pressure on Biodiversity | water depletion / consumption by feed crops driving ecosystem loss & species decline
Fertilizer & Manure Harm to Biodiversity | nutrient pollution’s central role in freshwater biodiversity loss
Herbicide Harm to Biodiversity | glyphosate & atrazine use on feed crops as drivers of loss
Insecticide (Neonics) Harm to Biodiversity | neonic seed treatments on feed crops as driver of loss
Chemical Fertilizers & Manure
Chemical Fertilizer & Pesticide Takeaways | summary of major points
Overview of Chemical Fertilizers | nutrients in feed crop fertilizers / shares dispersed / impacts on waterways and biodiversity
Chemical Fertilizer Use on Feed Crops | shares of total fertilizer nutrients used on feed crops
Herbicide Use on Feed Crops | share of common herbicides on feed crops / glyphosate / atrazine / trends
Insecticides (Neonics) Overview | neonics vs. conventional insecticides / pervasiveness / environmental impacts
Neonics Use on Feed Crops | share of neonics used on feed crops / ineffectiveness / lack of federal oversight
Manure & Other Outputs
Manure Takeaways | summary of major points
The Manure Problem | reasons for lack of value / methods of dispersal into the environment
Total Manure Amounts | amounts generated by factory farms vs. human waste
Total Nutrient Volume in Manure | nutrients volumes / shares that escape to water and air / shares applied to crops
Manure Amounts by Animal Type | manure per animal unit / total shares by animal type
GHG Emissions
GHG Emissions Takeaways | summary of major points
U.S. Share of GHG Emissions | U.S. share of cumulative and annual global emissions / national comparisons
Agricultural GHG Emissions | agriculture’s share of total emissions / ag sources by category and by gas
Animal Ag GHG Emissions | animal ag’s share of total emissions / animal ag sources by category and by gas
Air Quality
Air Quality Takeaways | summary of major points
Nitrogen and Air Quality | nitrogen’s role in animal ag pollution / losses from feed crops and factory farms
Animal Ag Air Pollution Overview | stages of ammonia pollution / health impacts on humans and farmed animals
Agricultural PM2.5 Pollution | chemical creation of PM2.5 / human health impacts / share from agriculture
Animal Ag Ammonia & PM2.5 | sources of ammonia / contribution to PM2.5 creation / environmental damages
Feed Crop Figures & Conversion
Feed Crop Takeaways | summary of major points
Feed Crop Usage Overview | top U.S. feed crops / acreage and rank among all crops / comparisons to food crops
Share of Corn Crop for Feed | total share of corn to animal feed including silage, DDGs, and exports
Share of Soybean Crop for Feed | total share of soybeans to feed including meal and exports / by weight & value
Share of Hay & Wheat for Feed | total share of alfalfa, other hay, and wheat to animal feed
Share of Secondary Crops for Feed | analysis of other crops and the shares used for animal feed
Total Feed Crops Share | combined shares of all crops for feed / additional uncounted uses
Grazing Numbers & Resource Use
Grazing Takeaways | summary major points
Grazing Overview | total acreage / shares of U.S. land / types of land and locations
Grazing Animal Numbers | number of cattle grazing / percent of dairy cows on pasture
Grazing on Federal Lands | oversight of grazing lands / acres available for grazing vs. actively grazed / share of cattle on federal lands / grazing fees
Laws & Regulations
Government Laws & Regulations Takeaways | summary of major points
Animal Treatment Laws & Regs Overview | two federal laws for farmed animals / none pertain to poultry or factory farms
Humane Methods of Slaughter Act | provisions of HMSA / livestock handling and slaughter / enforcement
Twenty-Eight Hour Law | provisions of law / animals covered / enforcement / comparison to other countries
Animal Welfare Act | general provisions / no application to farmed animals
Poultry Welfare Regulations | lack of regulations for poultry on farm or at slaughter / PPIA’s minimal protection
Clean Water Act Overview | general provisions / waters of the United States / Sackett v. EPA
Clean Water Act Animal Ag Regulations | CWA’s provisions for CAFOs / loopholes in regs / nutrient management plans
NPDES for CAFOs | NPDES application to CAFOs / number of CAFOs with permits / permit procedures / enforcement
Slaughterhouse Water Regulations | EPA regulations / direct and indirect discharge / proposed revisions
Slaughterhouse Line Speed Regulations | federal laws / maximum line speeds / worker considerations
Slaughterhouse Worker Safety Oversight | limited and fragmented oversight from USDA, EPA, CDC, & OSHA
Subsidies
Animal Ag Subsidies Takeaways | summary of major points
Subsidies Infographic
Agricultural Subsidies Overview | totals and trends in crop insurance & direct payments / share of farm income / major impacts
Animal Ag Subsidies | animal ag’s share of subsidies / average annual costs / crops most heavily subsidized / largest programs
Perspectives on Subsidies | why subsidies may not be a central factor in food costs or consumption of animal-sourced foods
Industry Data
In progress. Areas to be covered include animal ag production volume & value, exports, production trends, market value and profitability of the industries
Firms, Farms & Lobbying
In progress. Areas to be covered include concentration levels, ranked size of producers, vertical integration, contract farming, lobbying groups & activities, disinformation campaigns, deceptive labeling
Land Use
Land Use for Agriculture | USDA data on land use for agriculture including grazing / shares of total U.S. land
Land Use for Animal Ag | animal feed crops and grazing land / shares of contiguous U.S. land / feed share of total cropland
Soil Degradation
In progress. Areas to be covered include soil degradation from feed crops & grazing, extent of soil loss and erosion, monoculture & tilling impacts, pollution of soil from nutrients, pesticides, and manure contaminants
Human Health Impacts
Antibiotic Resistance Overview | animal ag’s role in AR / integral to factory farming / human health impacts
Animal Ag Antibiotic Usage | share of medically important antibiotics for farmed animals / by animal type / trends in usage
Zoonoses & Animal Ag | animal ag connection to zoonoses vs. wildlife origins / complexity and controversy
Animal Ag Drivers of Zoonoses | direct transmission / indirect drivers via land use, habitat loss, biodiversity loss
Consumption Figures
Animal-Sourced Food Consumption Takeaways | summary of major points
Meat Consumption Data Overview | reasons for variance in consumption estimates / credible sources, data sets
Per Capita Meat Consumption | per capita consumption total meat, beef, pork, chicken, turkey / trend
Per Capita Dairy & Egg Consumption | per capita consumption total dairy, milk, other dairy, eggs / trends
Comparisons of Animal-Sourced Food Consumption | comparing U.S. consumption rates to global / to fruits & vegetables / to USDA guidelines
Animal-Sourced Food Waste | share of food waste for meat, poultry, eggs and dairy / animals wasted
Water Usage & Scarcity
Water Usage & Scarcity Takeaways | summary of major points
Water Usage Infographic
Animal Ag Water Use Overview | water consumption is key (not withdrawal) / obscurity of agricultural role
Agricultural Water Usage | agricultural share of consumption / irrigation as key driver / surface vs. groundwater
Feed Crop Water Usage | feed crop shares of total usage / total animal ag usage / shares by primary feed crops
Groundwater & Aquifer Depletion | unsustainable usage / share due to animal ag / major aquifer depletion
Water Usage by Factory Farms & Slaughterhouses | share of total consumption on factory farms / slaughter & processing plant usage
Water Pollution
Water Pollution Takeaways | summary of major points
Nutrient Pollution & Animal Ag Overview | excess nitrogen & phosphorus from agriculture & animal ag / eutrophication / government monitors
Size of the Nutrient Pollution Problem | nutrient pollution exceeding planetary boundaries / leading cause of water pollution
Lakes, Rivers, & Streams Pollution | status of EPA reports / share of compromised lakes, rivers, wetlands / state findings
Animal Ag’s Contributions to Water Pollution | role of manure and feed crop fertilizers in nutrient pollution / dispersal routes
Animal Ag Water Pollution Sources | manure dispersal sites / land conversion & fertilizer use on feed crops
Demographics
Worker Demographics Takeaways | summary of major points
Slaughter & Processing Worker Totals | BLS stats on numbers of workers / frontline estimates / undercounting
Slaughter & Processing Wages | annual and hourly wages for frontline workers / comparison to U.S. averages
Slaughter & Processing Worker Demographic Segments | by race, gender, ethnicity, & citizenship status
Factory Farm Workers Totals | factory farm worker numbers by animal types / undercounts by federal agencies
Health & Safety
Worker Health & Safety Takeaways | summary of major points
Livestock Slaughter & Processing Worker Injury & Illness | BLS stats on numbers & rates / prevalent injuries / undercounts
Poultry Processing Worker Injury & Illness | BLS stats on numbers & rates / prevalent injuries / undercounts
Precarious Employment | factors that make animal ag work precarious / underreporting / threats to health & safety
Line Speed Impacts on Slaughter & Processing Workers | research on injuries due to increasing slaughter line speeds / types and prevalence of injuries
Factory Farm Worker Injury & Illness | BLS stats on numbers & rates / prevalent injuries / undercounts
Causes of Factory Farm Workers Injury & Illness | common types and causes of injuries & illnesses / dangers of manure storage systems and animal interactions
Undercounts of Injury & Illness for Animal Ag Workers | general estimates of injury & illness undercounts / contributing factors for workers and employers