by Felix Ban

CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) are industrial farms where a significant number of animals like cows, pigs, and chickens are kept and fed in extremely crowded conditions. These farms produce substantial amounts of waste, leading to various environmental concerns. This raises the question: where exactly are these facilities located, and what impact do they have on our environment?

The Challenge of Tracking CAFOs

The best way to find CAFOs is by tracking permitting data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). CAFOs that meet specific waste production requirements must obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit from the EPA.

However, many CAFOs operate without these permits, making it difficult to determine their exact locations and sizes. Even if states disclosed all their permitting data, only about 30% of CAFOs have these permits, providing an incomplete picture of their environmental impact.

Defining “Megafarms”

Given the difficulties in locating CAFOs, we decided to use our own term: megafarms. The USDA conducts a Census of Agriculture every five years, providing extensive data on farms in the U.S., including information on farm locations, types of animals, and farm sizes. Although the USDA's farm size categories don't align perfectly with the EPA's CAFO definition, we at CIWF have defined 'megafarms' based on a combination of USDA data and EPA requirements. This approach allows us to utilize the comprehensive data available while still highlighting large-scale farming operations.

Why Knowing Megafarm Locations Matters

The U.S. relies heavily on megafarms for animal products, as current demand exceeds what can be sustainably and humanely produced. To cut costs, companies crowd as many animals as possible into small spaces, creating CAFOs.