Intensive pig farming took hold in eastern North Carolina during the 1980s, driven by the allure of cheap land, labor, and a lack of regulations.

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)

Today, epicenters of industrial pig production like Duplin and Sampson counties boast some of the highest concentrations of pig farms in the United States. Massive Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) operated by corporate giants such as Smithfield Foods, confine tens of thousands of animals within long barns, devoid of access to the outdoors. The animals’ waste falls through slats in the barn floors and is collected in large, open pits or lagoons, where it is then disposed of by spraying onto nearby fields.

Bacteria and chemicals associated with farm waste have been found in large quantities in North Carolina’s waterways as well as inside nearby residents’ homes and drinking water.

According to data from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, pig farms in North Carolina produce an estimated 10 billion gallons of liquid waste each year.

Rural low-income communities

Rural, low-income communities with predominantly African American and Native American populations are disproportionately affected by the negative impacts of intensive pig farming, such as increased exposure to contaminated water, air pollution, and higher rates of respiratory illnesses.

A 2018 study published in the International Journal of Public Health found that residents living near pig farms in North Carolina had higher rates of respiratory problems, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), compared to those living further away. The study found that exposure to airborne particulate matter from pig farm waste was likely a contributing factor.

Has your community been affected by factory farming?

If you or someone you know has been affected by factory farming like Jessie and his family have, please contact Compassion in World Farming and we will help support efforts to ensure a brighter future for you, your community and for farmed animals everywhere.