Economics of Manure
Why is manure valuable? Manure contains two key nutrients that support plant growth: nitrogen and phosphorus. Correctly applying manure to croplands can improve the chemical, physical, and biological health of the soil and increase the growth of crops.[1,2] Before the advent of chemical fertilizers and factory farming, the use of manure was the primary method […]
Manure Pollution Overview
What is manure? Manure is the urine and feces excreted from animals, and in some operations, includes plant-based bedding materials which have absorbed animal waste products.[1-3] EPA Terminology Services – Terms and Acronyms [“The fecal and urinary excretions of livestock and poultry.] Pagliari, P. et al., (2019). Animal Manure Production and Utilization: Impact of Modern […]
Manure Takeaways
Manure Takeaways Takeaways are key points detailed and referenced in the Manure & Other Outputs section The Manure Problem Nutrient pollution (excess nitrogen and phosphorus) from concentrated manure is one of the central negative externalities of factory farming; nutrient pollution is one of the largest environmental problems in the U.S. and globally. Factory farming has […]
A Protest Vote
It can be a challenge to feel the optimism one normally longs for as we enter that period of the year known for the dark, the cold, and the spiritual. And yet, we keep thinking we do have the power to end this madness. We each have a vote. We all can protest.
Animal Inventories
Approximately how many U.S. land animals raised for food were alive in 2022? Approximately 2.56 billion farmed land animals raised for food were in inventory in the U.S. in 2022. The most comprehensive figures on farmed animals alive at a given point in time are in the inventory tables of the Census of Agriculture, last […]
Mass Killing of Poultry (Avian Flu)
Key Points – Mass Killing of Poultry Banner photo: Glass Walls/We AnimalsTo download chart click here How does the USDA distinguish between euthanasia and mass killings, or “depopulation”? Euthanasia is “transitioning an animal to death as painlessly and stress-free as possible.” Depopulation (what we refer to as mass killing) is “when large numbers of animals […]
Grazing & Land Degradation
6 KEY POINTS – Land Degradation & Grazing 1. Globally, grazing is understood to be the number one driver of land degradation. 2. U.S. grazing lands are undergoing pervasive and accelerating degradation; a broad and conservative estimate is that one-third or more of U.S. grazing lands are degraded. 3. Because grazing makes up the single […]
Factory Farming’s Grazing “Debate”
The beef industry and its supporters have kept alive the notion that there is some controversy about whether grazing cattle in America is beneficial for the land. This is despite clear evidence that grazing has degraded land conditions across the nation and that climate change and drought are steadily increasing the toll.
Agricultural Intensification and Disposable Animals
The world of factory farmed pigs is ground zero in the “agricultural intensification” that some tout as the answer for feeding a growing world population. Intensification relies on technological advances to propel increasing yields per unit of land, labor, and capital. Industrial animal agriculture has been on this road for a long time.
Pig Breeding Life
What is the factory farm pig breeding model? The model can be simply stated: use genetics, drugs, and production techniques to maximize the number of slaughter-bound pigs per inventoried sow, while allocating the least amount of space, feed, and labor.[1-3] The deaths of piglets and sows and their suffering is not in the equation, as […]