The Link Between Industrial Farming and Compromising Human Health
Source: onegreenplanet.org
This project is to collect data that links the impact of industrial farming or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and the effect on our communities, environment, and human health. “Since 1960, milk production has doubled, meat production has tripled, and egg production has quadrupled (Pew Commission on Industrial Animal Farm Production, 2009)” (Hribar, 2010).
The 2017 Census Data of Agriculture states that there are 2.04 million farms, with an average of 441 on 900 million acres (usda.gov). There are 450,000 Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) in the United States, of which 9,900 are CAFOs.
The question is, why is this information necessary, and why should we care?
Some of the largest industrial farms are not following basic safety and health guidelines. Many of these farms pollute our land, water, and air nearby and worldwide. My concentration is mainly on the United States and the impact of these farms. I focused on three large companies. I aim to bring up-to-date data from local and government resources to give accurate results.
Photo by Jo-Anne McArthur
Risks of Industrial Farming
Industrial farming poses many risks, including water and air pollution, climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss, human rights violations, human health, and animal well-being. My resources contain data and information from the last twenty years.
Many health concerns are written in the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) article, Understanding Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations and Their Impact on Communities (2010), written by Carrie Hribar, MA, Project Coordinator for Education and Training, and the National Association of Local Boards of Health. Even though Hribar’s article is ten years old, it still reflects accurate data on the impact of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) on environmental and human health. Finding up-to-date data to compare and see if conditions have increased or improved is crucial.
Advancements in the farming industry have formulated innovative ways to raise animals to maturity faster and in far less time (Hribar, 2010). In the 1920s, it would take a farmer sixteen weeks to grow a chicken to 2.2 pounds (Pew, 2009). Today, it takes seven weeks for farmers to raise a five-pound chicken (Pew, 2009).
In the United States, it is common for farmers to use antibiotics in animal feed. The animal would grow faster with fewer illnesses regardless of the environment. As a result, the animal can be confined and produce a quality meat product.
Almost half of the antibiotics used are the same as those given to humans (Kaufman, 2000). In fact, “seventy percent of all antibiotics and related drugs used in the U.S. each year are given to beef cattle, hogs, and chickens as feed additives” (Hribar, 2010). The problem is that humans consuming this meat can have a raised tolerance for antibiotic-resistant microbes (Kaufman, 2000), as presented in The Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA) of 2009.
Many restaurants have improved today in keeping their meat clean from antibiotic use. PAMTA's presentation would ban certain antibiotics used in animals by 2017. Still, Congress denied the harm, stating that antibiotics were necessary and not damaging to humans (congress.gov).
Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) are described “as agricultural enterprises where animals are kept and raised in confined situations” (nrcs.usda.gov). CAFOs are on a larger scale with more extensive facilities that harvest animals at a higher rate (Hribar, 2010). To become a CAFO, you have to start as an AFO first.
Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) are described “as agricultural enterprises where animals are kept and raised in confined situations” (nrcs.usda.gov). CAFOs are on a larger scale with more extensive facilities that harvest animals at a higher rate (Hribar, 2010). To become a CAFO, you have to start as an AFO first.
Industrial farming has many environmental impacts on the planet. One crucial factor is our groundwater. Animal waste has been an issue for environmentalists for quite some time. Some waste can be used for fertilizer, but an overabundance results in runoff polluting our rivers and water systems.
The EPA announced that in 2001, states with a dense accumulation of CAFOs experienced twenty to thirty significant water quality issues on average. The three prominent companies that I focused on are Cargill, Smithfield, and Tyson Foods. The choice and locations were made because these are some of the largest meat processors in the U.S. These map locations show significant data on environmental and health issues.
Source: news.climate.columbia.edu
Cargill Beef
Cargill is a family-owned company that does not sell directly to the public. Established in 1865, this company has one of the highest revenues in the U.S. (cargill.com). The company speaks of the sustainability of connecting to the Global Food System.
I evaluated a farm on Google Earth in Dodge City, Kansas, to get an idea of the aerial view. Another beef processing facility, National Beef, is directly between Cargill and the population. What I noticed is how many large, polluted lagoons exist. All-around land areas are grazing yards for cattle until they are moved to a more confined feed yard weeks or days before processing (University of Minnesota).
The polluted lagoons are close to the Arkansas River, which is commonly dry due to intensive agriculture (chieftain.com). “The states have been to the U.S. Supreme Court seven times since 1902, most often because Kansas officials charged that Colorado was overusing the river” (chieftain.com).
A closer look at the lagoons and livestock.
The polluted lagoons are close to the Arkansas River, which is commonly dry due to intensive agriculture (chieftain.com). “The states have been to the U.S. Supreme Court seven times since 1902, most often because Kansas officials charged that Colorado was overusing the river” (chieftain.com).
Dodge City depends on Nebraska’s most extensive water system, the Ogallala Aquifer. This Aquifer provides water to eight states and runs into the Arkansas River. This river also goes right through the population. “Pollutants can also travel over land or through surface drainage systems to nearby bodies of water, be discharged through manmade ditches or flushing systems found in CAFOs, or come into contact with surface water that passes directly through the farming area” (Hribar, 2010).
View the global impacts of Cargill Foods
Source: plantbasednews.org
Smithfield Pigs
Smithfield is the largest pork company in the world. I looked at Tar Heel, North Carolina. There are many hog houses along with many polluted lagoons. Also, the processing plant is right next to the Cape Fear River. There have been many issues with this location.
“In 2018, the trade publication National Hog Farmer reported that North Carolina had 3,300 active lagoons” (Blest, 2020). That year, fifty lagoons overflowed from Hurricane Florence, which released waste into the river (Blest, 2020).
Industrial farm odor can travel 3-6 miles away (Hribar, 2010). The largest lagoon is three-quarters of a mile away from Tar Heel Middle School. In addition, 26% of North Carolina schools complain of odors outside, and 8% smell odors inside (Hribar, 2010). Air pollutants include ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, methane, and particulate matter (Kleinman, 2000).
According to the CDC, children require 20-50% more air than adults; therefore, they are vulnerable to lung disease and asthma (Kleinman, 2000).
30% of factory farm workers are susceptible to respiratory diseases like “acute and chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive airway disease, and interstitial lung disease” (Hribar, 2010). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that acid rain increases due to a calculation of fifty to eighty-five percent of ammonia emissions from animal waste. The health concerns are respiratory illness, bronchitis, lung inflammation, toxic dust syndrome, asthma, and cardiac arrest (Wheeler, 2019).
The photo below reveals the common flood zones.
More information on community impacts from Smithfield Farms
Source: ran.org
Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods is one of the largest distributors of beef and chicken and has been responsible for more toxic pollution than any other company (Rumpler, 2016). This plant is located in Dakota City, Nebraska. As it shows, the polluted lagoons are next to the Missouri River.
“A study by Iowa State University, which was a result of a lawsuit settlement between the Sierra Club and Tyson Chicken, found that two chicken houses in western Kentucky emitted over 10 tons of ammonia in the year they were monitored” (Burns et al., 2007, as cited in Hribar, 2010).
The photo below reveals flood zones in this area. Heavy storms or floods overfill storage lagoons, causing pollution runoff in rivers or bodies of water (Hribar, 2010).
Tyson Foods has been involved in more lawsuits than any other known CAFO company for accusations of dumping toxic waste into rivers and is blamed for the Gulf of Mexico’s watershed ‘dead zone’ (Gallagher, 2017). Nitrates and ammonia deplete oxygen, causing algae blooms that kill fish and wildlife (Gallagher, 2017).
More information on the more profound impacts of Tyson Foods
CAFOs’ animal manure commonly contains over 150 pathogens, such as parasites, bacteria, or viruses, that can infect humans and animals and cause disease (Hribar, 2010). These are contracted by fecal-oral transmission, inhalation, or drinking water (Hribar, 2010).
Water contaminants can result in widespread outbreaks of disease (Hribar, 2010). “Salmonellosis, cryptosporidiosis, and giardiasis can cause nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, muscle pain, and death, among other symptoms” (Hribar, 2010). Excess nitrates also contribute to ‘blue baby syndrome’ (Paarlberg, 2020).
Photo by
Many communities near CAFOs complain of foul odors and are concerned about their health. Unfortunately, they are protected by Right-to-Farm laws that make it difficult for organizations to file lawsuits (Hribar, 2010), which makes filing lawsuits troublesome for communities.
The Board of Health’s responsibility is to implement “three public health core functions: assessment, policy development, and assurance” (Hribar, 2010).
Some organizations help communities and address environmental concerns. For example, the National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH) is comprised of different local boards around the U.S. They keep rules and regulations intact, governing public health. In addition, the Environmental Health Services Branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) supports CAFO matters through education and technical support through Cooperative Agreement Number 5U38HM000512 (Hribar, 2010).
Research to this degree is not only to bring awareness but also to research a solution. In animal welfare, closed-off buildings and gestation crates should be a thing of the past. Animals would not require antibiotics if not in close quarters: larger communities equal filth and more significant outbreaks.
The Board of Health’s responsibility is to implement “three public health core functions: assessment, policy development, and assurance” (Hribar, 2010).
Some organizations help communities and address environmental concerns. For example, the National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH) is comprised of different local boards around the U.S. They keep rules and regulations intact, governing public health. In addition, the Environmental Health Services Branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) supports CAFO matters through education and technical support through Cooperative Agreement Number 5U38HM000512 (Hribar, 2010).
Research to this degree is not only to bring awareness but also to research a solution. In animal welfare, closed-off buildings and gestation crates should be a thing of the past. Animals would not require antibiotics if not in close quarters: larger communities equal filth and more significant outbreaks.
Although Smithfield claimed in 2011 that it would stop using gestation crates for pigs by 2017, this has still not come to fruition. Factory farms can convert to more sustainable livestock systems with help (foodandwaterwatch.org). Investors should put their money towards smaller farms.
Environmentally, the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act regulations are administered in CAFOs. Innovations are being made to turn waste into electricity (sare.org, 2020). The University of Central Florida’s Anthropology Department will review and publish the results of this data.
This article is to bring awareness to the impact of industrial farming or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and the results that affect our communities, environment, and human health. The reason for this research is for change; to make a change, you must bring awareness. Positive changes are being implemented, but you might think twice before wasting food or letting something go rotten. Understand the animal’s conditions before slaughter and the number of resources that go into that one hamburger.
References
Barnes, Greg. “Environmentalists: Smithfield Needs to Get Rid of Lagoons and Spray Fields.” North Carolina Health News, 10 Jan. 2019, www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2019/01/10/environmentalists-smithfield-needs-to-get-rid-of-lagoons-and-spray-fields/.
Blest, Paul. “A Stench in the Nostrils of God.” The Outline, The Outline, 20 Feb. 2020, theoutline.com/post/8633/smithfield-pork-tar-heel-north-carolina-industrial-farms-lawsuits?zd=2.
“BRAND NEW: See America’s Factory Farms Mapped Out.” Food & Water Watch, 18 May 2020, www.foodandwaterwatch.org/news/brand-new-see-americas-factory-farms-mapped-out.
Burkhart, Kira, et al. “Water Pollution from Slaughterhouses.” Environmental Integrity, 11 Oct. 2018, www.environmentalintegrity.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Slaughterhouse_Report_Final.pdf.
Chemnitz, Christine, and Shefali Sharma. “2 Ways to Fix Factory Farming.” World Economic Forum, 2014, www.weforum.org/agenda/2014/08/factory-farming-cheap-meat-antibiotics-livestock/.
Committee on Considerations for the Future of Animal Science Research. “Animal Agriculture Research Needs: U.S. Perspective.” Critical Role of Animal Science Research in Food Security and Sustainability., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 31 Mar. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK285719/.
Daley, Jason. “Amazon Deforestation Has Increased Dramatically This Year.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 2 July 2019, www.smithsonianmag.com/.
“Farming, the Environment, Climate Change, and Water.” Food Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know, by Robert L. Paarlberg, Oxford University Press, 2020, pp. 100–101.
foodandwaterwatch.org. “Factory Farm Nation: 2020 Edition.” Food and Water Watch, Apr. 2020, www.foodandwaterwatch.org/sites/default/files/ib_2004_updfacfarmmaps-web2.pdf.
Freeman, Laura, et al. “Poultry and Livestock Exposure and Cancer Risk among Farmers in the Agricultural Health Study.” National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 10 Mar. 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles.
Gallagher, Shana. “Tyson Foods Linked to Largest Toxic Dead Zone in U.S. History.” Earth Island Journal, 31 Oct. 2017, www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/articles/entry/tyson_foods_linked_largest_toxic_dead_zone_us_history/.
Hribar, Carrie. “Understanding Concentrated Environmental Health Animal Feeding Operations and Their Impact on Communities.” National Association of Local Boards of Health, 2010, www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/docs/understanding_cafos_nalboh.pdf.
Kalogeropoulos, Demitri. “Yup, 80% of Our Beef Comes From 4 Producers.” The Motley Fool, The Motley Fool, 17 Sept. 2015, www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/09/17/yup-80-of-our-beef-comes-from-4-producers.aspx.
Moore-Wheeler, Theresa. “Livestock What You May Not Know.” Sign In, 3 Dec. 2019, storymaps.arcgis.com/stories.
“NALBOH Resources.” National Association of Local Boards of Health, 2020, www.nalboh.org/page/Governance.
“Natural Resources Conservation Service.” NRCS, www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/plantsanimals/livestock/afo/.
Roper, Peter. “Kansas, Colorado Have Long Feud over Arkansas River.” The Pueblo Chieftain, The Pueblo Chieftain, 2 May 2019, www.chieftain.com/news/20190425/kansas-colorado-have-long-feud-over-arkansas-river.
Rumpler, John. “Report: Tyson #1 Water Polluter among Agribusinesses.” Environment America, 30 June 2016, environmentamerica.org/news/ame/report-tyson-1-water-polluter-among-agribusinesses.
sare.org. “Capture Fuel from Animal Manure and Plant Waste.” SARE, 18 Sept. 2020, www.sare.org/publications/clean-energy-farming/capture-fuel-from-animal-manure-and-plant-waste/.
Souza, Kim. “Tyson Foods Fined $2 Million by EPA over Water Pollution in Missouri.” Talk Business & Politics, 26 Feb. 2020, talkbusiness.net/2017/09/tyson-foods-fined-2-million-by-epa-over-water-pollution-in-missouri/.
“Taking Big Agribusiness to Court: How We’re Fighting Back.” Food & Water Watch, 1 Aug. 2019, www.foodandwaterwatch.org/news/taking-big-agribusiness-court-how-we%E2%80%99re-fighting-back.
“United States Department of Agriculture.” List of Reports and Publications | 2017 Census of Agriculture | USDA/NASS, 2017, www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2017/index.php.
University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment, and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. “The Cost of Beef.” Arcgis.com, www.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=febc71b1e92d4f20ac51916df1d10719.
“Yale University.” Cattle Ranching in the Amazon Region | Global Forest Atlas, 2020, globalforestatlas.yale.edu/amazon/land-use/cattle-ranching.
This article is to bring awareness to the impact of industrial farming or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and the results that affect our communities, environment, and human health. The reason for this research is for change; to make a change, you must bring awareness. Positive changes are being implemented, but you might think twice before wasting food or letting something go rotten. Understand the animal’s conditions before slaughter and the number of resources that go into that one hamburger.
References
Barnes, Greg. “Environmentalists: Smithfield Needs to Get Rid of Lagoons and Spray Fields.” North Carolina Health News, 10 Jan. 2019, www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2019/01/10/environmentalists-smithfield-needs-to-get-rid-of-lagoons-and-spray-fields/.
Blest, Paul. “A Stench in the Nostrils of God.” The Outline, The Outline, 20 Feb. 2020, theoutline.com/post/8633/smithfield-pork-tar-heel-north-carolina-industrial-farms-lawsuits?zd=2.
“BRAND NEW: See America’s Factory Farms Mapped Out.” Food & Water Watch, 18 May 2020, www.foodandwaterwatch.org/news/brand-new-see-americas-factory-farms-mapped-out.
Burkhart, Kira, et al. “Water Pollution from Slaughterhouses.” Environmental Integrity, 11 Oct. 2018, www.environmentalintegrity.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Slaughterhouse_Report_Final.pdf.
Chemnitz, Christine, and Shefali Sharma. “2 Ways to Fix Factory Farming.” World Economic Forum, 2014, www.weforum.org/agenda/2014/08/factory-farming-cheap-meat-antibiotics-livestock/.
Committee on Considerations for the Future of Animal Science Research. “Animal Agriculture Research Needs: U.S. Perspective.” Critical Role of Animal Science Research in Food Security and Sustainability., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 31 Mar. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK285719/.
Daley, Jason. “Amazon Deforestation Has Increased Dramatically This Year.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 2 July 2019, www.smithsonianmag.com/.
“Farming, the Environment, Climate Change, and Water.” Food Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know, by Robert L. Paarlberg, Oxford University Press, 2020, pp. 100–101.
foodandwaterwatch.org. “Factory Farm Nation: 2020 Edition.” Food and Water Watch, Apr. 2020, www.foodandwaterwatch.org/sites/default/files/ib_2004_updfacfarmmaps-web2.pdf.
Freeman, Laura, et al. “Poultry and Livestock Exposure and Cancer Risk among Farmers in the Agricultural Health Study.” National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 10 Mar. 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles.
Gallagher, Shana. “Tyson Foods Linked to Largest Toxic Dead Zone in U.S. History.” Earth Island Journal, 31 Oct. 2017, www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/articles/entry/tyson_foods_linked_largest_toxic_dead_zone_us_history/.
Hribar, Carrie. “Understanding Concentrated Environmental Health Animal Feeding Operations and Their Impact on Communities.” National Association of Local Boards of Health, 2010, www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/docs/understanding_cafos_nalboh.pdf.
Kalogeropoulos, Demitri. “Yup, 80% of Our Beef Comes From 4 Producers.” The Motley Fool, The Motley Fool, 17 Sept. 2015, www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/09/17/yup-80-of-our-beef-comes-from-4-producers.aspx.
Moore-Wheeler, Theresa. “Livestock What You May Not Know.” Sign In, 3 Dec. 2019, storymaps.arcgis.com/stories.
“NALBOH Resources.” National Association of Local Boards of Health, 2020, www.nalboh.org/page/Governance.
“Natural Resources Conservation Service.” NRCS, www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/plantsanimals/livestock/afo/.
Roper, Peter. “Kansas, Colorado Have Long Feud over Arkansas River.” The Pueblo Chieftain, The Pueblo Chieftain, 2 May 2019, www.chieftain.com/news/20190425/kansas-colorado-have-long-feud-over-arkansas-river.
Rumpler, John. “Report: Tyson #1 Water Polluter among Agribusinesses.” Environment America, 30 June 2016, environmentamerica.org/news/ame/report-tyson-1-water-polluter-among-agribusinesses.
sare.org. “Capture Fuel from Animal Manure and Plant Waste.” SARE, 18 Sept. 2020, www.sare.org/publications/clean-energy-farming/capture-fuel-from-animal-manure-and-plant-waste/.
Souza, Kim. “Tyson Foods Fined $2 Million by EPA over Water Pollution in Missouri.” Talk Business & Politics, 26 Feb. 2020, talkbusiness.net/2017/09/tyson-foods-fined-2-million-by-epa-over-water-pollution-in-missouri/.
“Taking Big Agribusiness to Court: How We’re Fighting Back.” Food & Water Watch, 1 Aug. 2019, www.foodandwaterwatch.org/news/taking-big-agribusiness-court-how-we%E2%80%99re-fighting-back.
“United States Department of Agriculture.” List of Reports and Publications | 2017 Census of Agriculture | USDA/NASS, 2017, www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2017/index.php.
University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment, and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. “The Cost of Beef.” Arcgis.com, www.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=febc71b1e92d4f20ac51916df1d10719.
“Yale University.” Cattle Ranching in the Amazon Region | Global Forest Atlas, 2020, globalforestatlas.yale.edu/amazon/land-use/cattle-ranching.
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