Industrial Agriculture (animals) - Factory Farming

Factory Farming

Industrial raising of farm animals indoors under conditions of extremely restricted mobility is commonly known as factory farming. It is done as part of industrial agriculture, which is designed to produce healthful, high-quality food efficiently, using economies of scale, modern machinery, modern medicine, and global trade for financing, purchases and sales.

Factory farms under United States laws and regulations are called concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), and in Canada they are called confined animal feeding operations (CFOs) or intensive livestock operations (ILOs).

Factory farming is widespread in developed nations. According to the Worldwatch Institute, 74 percent of the world's poultry, 43 percent of beef, and 68 percent of eggs are produced this way. In the U.S., four companies produce 81 percent of cows, 73 percent of sheep, 60 percent of pigs, and 50 percent of chickens; according to its National Pork Producers Council, 80 million of its 95 million pigs slaughtered each year are reared in industrial settings. Proponents of industrial agriculture argue for the benefits of increased efficiencies, while opponents claim that it harms the environment, creates health risks, and abuses animals.

The designation of CAFOs in the US resulted from that country's 1972 Federal Clean Water Act, which was enacted to protect and restore lakes and rivers to a "fishable, swimmable" quality. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identified certain animal feeding operations, along with many other types of industry, as point source polluters of groundwater. These operations were designated as CAFOs and subject to special anti-pollution regulation.