ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Factory farming has significant environmental impacts that cannot be ignored. First, it is a serious strain on natural resources. Instead of using resources such as grain and water to nourish people, these resources are used to raise animals, which consume the majority of the grain produced in the United States (Farm Sanctuary). In order to keep up with the demand, more land has been exploited for farming processes. This has lead to the destruction of forests, riverbeds, and other ecosystems. This can have serious lasting effects on local ecosystems (Farm Sanctuary).

Another environmental concern is the amount of waste produced by farms raising animals. In the United States, the amount of waste produced by farm animals is 130 times more than that produced by human beings (Farm Sanctuary). More troubling than these statistics is the way that this waste is often dealt with. Waste is often filtered into man-made lakes, which ends up holding millions of gallons of liquid waste. This water is used to irrigate crops and usually ends up finding its way into local water supplies (Sustainable Living).

A lagoon in Georgia full of animal waste (Vegan on the Cheap)

Besides the fact that factory farms produce excess of waste, this waste can have serious consequences for surrounding communities. Runoff from factory farms is a danger to local ecosystems, causing the death of millions of fish so far. Even worse than that, these sources of water can carry bacteria to humans, causing symptoms such as memory loss, sores, nausea, and fatigue (Farm Sanctuary). This runoff can contaminate water sources used by local communities, and can also lead to air pollution. The stench caused by factor farms can often affect and even disperse the surrounding communities (Food and Water).

Despite the many environmental concerns being raised about factory farms, the number of such farms continues to increase. As they become bigger and cram more animals into small spaces, these institutionalized production sites are putting smaller farms out of business. At this point more than 50% of the U.S.' livestock is raised on only 5% of the nation's farms (Food and Water).