Factory Farm Map of the U.S.

by Jennie Richards · Published May 11, 2015 · Updated October 14, 2021

Food and Water Watch has produced the first map to chart the geographical distribution of factory farms in the U.S. The companion report, Factory Farm Nation, explains the forces driving factory farms, as well as the environmental, public health, and economic consequences of factory farming. Here’s the Factory Farm Map of the U.S.

Factory farms are still essentially unregulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA even abandoned a regulation in 2012 that would have created an inventory of factory farms to gather basic information about how they are managing their tremendous volumes of waste. The EPA is turning a blind eye toward this extremely polluting industry that is poisoning our air, waterways, health, and communities. “The EPA admits that it doesn’t even know where all of the factory farms are!”

Factory farms have spread across the U.S. at a rapid pace over the last two decades through purchasing small family-owned farms. Weak environmental rules and bad farm policy have allowed factory farms to take over the production of livestock. Read Factory Farming in America – The True Cost of Animal Agribusiness.

Help get rid of industrial animal farming and the serious negative impacts they are having on our environment, groundwater, air quality, waterways, public health and on the animals. Even if you don’t live near one, there are things you can do to help get rid of them.