What Is a CAFO, and Is It Different From a Factory Farm?

What Is a CAFO, and Is It Different From a Factory Farm?

An estimated 99 percent of farm animals in the U.S. live in what the government calls Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs. But what exactly makes something a CAFO, and are they the same as factory farms? Generally speaking, CAFOs are large industrial facilities where hundreds, thousands or hundreds of thousands of farmed animals are densely packed in sheds or feed yards. They’re an example of what’s also called intensive farming, in…

Unequal Exposure to CAFOs Across U.S. States

In the modern agricultural landscape of the United States, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) have become an emblematic representation of industrialized livestock production. These sprawling facilities, densely packed with hundreds or even thousands of animals, serve as a pivotal source of meat, dairy, and eggs for millions. However, their rapidly increasing prevalence has raised alarms among environmental scientists, public health e…