Factory farming produces more than the food on your table  

Lax regulations have allowed an explosion of factory farms, with their stench, pollution and threats to human health. These mega-farms are often in areas with predominantly Black, Latino and Native American populations, and low-income communities.  

Raising thousands of livestock in close confinement requires huge open pits of manure, urine and other waste. People living nearby can become overwhelmed by the stench and may suffer from respiratory problems and have a greater risk of death from serious disease.  

EWG Areas of Focus

Fertilizing feed for animals produces nitrous oxide emissions, a greenhouse gas 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. When animals eat this feed and produce manure, it generates methane emissions, which are 80 times more powerful than CO2. Plowing up grassland and forest to grow feed for animals also releases carbon from soil into the atmosphere. By contrast, plant-based and other alternative proteins produce fewer greenhouse gases and require less land.

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