Dairy Cows

Filthy conditions on a dairy factory farm. Photo courtesy of CARE, Washington State.

A single cow produces approximately as much waste as 21 humans. Industrial dairy operations, which confine thousands or tens of thousands of cows on small plots of land, thus produce tremendous amounts of manure – as much waste, in many cases, as mid-sized cities. But unlike cities, which thoroughly process human waste at state-of-the-art sewage treatment facilities, factory farms simply dump manure into uncovered manure lagoons, and subsequently apply the waste to surrounding fields.

Given the vast quantity of manure and the relatively small size of surrounding crop land, waste is typically overapplied to fields, causing ground and surface water to eventually become polluted with a host of contaminants, which damage the natural environment and threaten public health. Factory dairies also impair human health by exposing workers and local community members to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, pathogens such as E.coli and salmonella, and a veritable cocktail of air pollutants, including hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter.

Learn more about the devastating impacts of factory farms by reading the resources below.
See what an industrial dairy looks like by viewing our collection of dairy factory farm photos.
Fortunately, socially responsible farmers continue to produce healthful dairy products without the harmful impacts of industrial operations. Learn more on our Reclaiming Agriculture: Dairy Cows page.

News Flash!

Citizens Bring Suit to Clean Up Air Pollution from Industrial Dairies in Lower Yakima Valley

Seeking to hold industrial dairies accountable for their release of hazardous air pollutants, citizens filed a lawsuit against one of the biggest dairies in the state of Washington. On behalf of the Community Association for Restoration of the Environment (CARE), the Western Environmental Law Center filed suit in federal district court on April 23, 2008 seeking to require DeRuyter Brothers Dairy to obtain permits under the Clean Air Act and limit its methanol pollution.
Complaint (full text) – Press Release

General Resources

Dairy Factory Farm Photos – SRA Project Photo Gallery

View and download photos of dairy factory farms and their harmful impacts on surrounding communities in the Socially Responsible Agricultural Project photo gallery.

Dairy Production Statistics

US dairy production statistics from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Select “Dairy” in Step 1, select a subgroup in Step 2, and click “search.”

Dairy Talking Points

Talking points about the problems caused by dairy CAFOs.

California Animal Waste Management

California is the nation’s number one dairy state. This EPA web page documents animal waste problems and regulations specific to California.

Erath County’s Booming Dairy Industry Pollutes Texas’ Waterways

Created by the Texas Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, this site depicts conditions in Erath, Texas, where more than 200 dairy factory farms are now located. This site includes downloadable video footage. (Texas Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.)

Reports

A Citizen’s Guide to the Regional Economic and Environmental Effects of Large Concentrated Dairy Operations

This guide was created to help citizens and environmental groups evaluate applications for dairy factory farms. (Bill Weida, November 2000.)

Air Pollution Control Officer’s Determination of VOC Emission Factors for Dairies

This report presents the basis for the Air Pollution Control Officer’s determination of volatile organic compound (VOC) emission factors to be used for permitting San Joaquin Valley dairies. The study evaluates appropriate emission factors for different sources and constituents and makes recommendations for future study and research. (San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, August 2005.)

The Changing Landscape of US Milk Production

Over the course of the past 60 years, the US dairy industry has undergone dramatic restructuring. The questions of where milk is produced, how much is produced, and who produces it are important from both a national and a regional perspective. This report focuses on the key structural features of the dairy industry: the quantity of milk produced and the location, number, size, and organization of dairy farms. (Don P. Blayney, Statistical Bulletin No. SB978, USDA Economic Research Service, 30 pp., June 2002.)

Consolidation in Food Retailing and Dairy: Implications for Farmers and Consumers in a Global Food System

This series of National Farmers Union studies describes the implications of increasing consolidation in the retail food and dairy industries. (National Farmers Union, January 8, 2001.)

Coxiella burnetii in Bulk Tank Milk Samples, United States

More than 90% of US dairy herds sampled were infected with C. burnetii based on bulk tank milk testing over a 3-year period. This high prevalence did not show temporal or regional variation, suggesting that C. burnetii infections in dairy herds are common throughout the US. The study recommends further investigation to determine the implications of the high prevalence of C. burnetii in dairy herds in order to address the potential threat to public health. (Emerging Infectious Diseases, April 2005.)

Dairy Feedlot Contributions to Groundwater Contamination A Preliminary Study in New Mexico

An analysis of groundwater samples collected from 26 monitoring wells around seven manure lagoons on dairies in New Mexico. Preliminary results indicated that mean contaminant concentrations exceeded groundwater quality standards for nitrate, ammonia, chloride, and TDS at all dairies and all wells. Journal of Environmental Health. 1999.

Dairy Odor Management & Control Practices

A basic introduction to odor produced by factory farms. Includes information about odor perception, odor measurement, and technologies used to manage odor emissions from factory farms. (Sheffield, Ron, and Robyn Walton, University of Idaho.)

Environmental Occurrence of Antibiotics in Dairy Farming

A presentation of an analysis of the use of antibiotics in dairy farms, and the environmental impacts of this practice. Using two California dairy farms as study sites, researchers detected pharmaceuticals in groundwater adjacent to manure lagoons, in groundwater beneath fields on which manure was applied, in surface soil samples, and in deeper soil samples. (2008 Joint Meeting of the Geological Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies with the Gulf Coast Section of SEPM, 2008.)

Greener Pastures: How grass-fed beef and milk contribute to healthy eating

This is the first study to synthesize the findings of virtually every English-language study (25 were chosen for analysis) comparing the amounts of total fats, saturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in beef and dairy products from pasture-raised animals to the amounts found in beef and dairy products from conventionally raised animals. The report also combines analyses of the nutritional, environmental, and public health benefits of grass-based farming techniques. (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2006.)

Presence of Multidrug-Resistant Enteric Bacteria in Dairy Farm Topsoil

Uncontrolled use of antibiotics in medicine and in farm animals has led to the selection of multidrug-resistant bacteria in humans and cows. Consequently, enteric bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and Salmonella spp. are not only resistant to multiple antibiotics given to animals, but also to antibiotics used to treat humans. If humans come in direct contact with infected feces from a livestock operation, transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is possible. Consequently, antibiotic resistance genes, if transferred to human microflora, may reduce efficacy of treatment for infectious diseases. (American Dairy Science Association, 2005.)

Quality of Ground Water in Private Wells in the Lower Yakima Valley, 2001-02

A study of private wells in the lower Yakima Valley (WA), home to more than 70 dairies and 62,000 milk cows. 90% of wells located near dairy operations were found to contain much higher levels of nitrate (which can be harmful to human health) than wells in other communities. (Valley Institute for Research and Education, December 2002.)
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Tail Docking Dairy Cattle

Tail docking dairy cattle, (amputating at least half of the cow’s tail), has become a routine practice on factory farms throughout North America. Learn more about this harmful procedure. (Marlene Halverson, Animal Welfare Institute, 2002.)

rBGH

Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) is a genetically engineered hormone that is injected into cows to force them to produce more milk. Although rBGH boosts production, it has also been shown to compromise animal health by increasing the rates of mastitis and clinical lameness among dairy herds, and by shortening the lifespan of cows. As a result of health concerns, use of rBGH has been banned in the European Union and Canada. Nevertheless, in order to maximize profits, most US factory dairies continue to use this controversial hormone.

Resources

BGH Bulletin

An online news source for anyone who consumes dairy products. The site includes information about Jane Akre and Steve Wilson, two FOX reporters who were fired by the station as a result of their investigative report about rBGH. They appeared as part of Farm Aid 2000.

Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH or rBST)

Information from the Organic Consumers Association.

Consumer’s Union

Consumer Reports on Bovine Growth Hormone.

Dairy Cows: Turning Cows Into Biotech Milk Machines

An overview of the problems caused by routine use of rBGH. (Humane Farming Association.)

Genetically Altering the World’s Food

How Monsanto was able to get its genetically engineered hormone (rBGH) approved for use in the US. (Rachel’s Environment and Health News, Feb. 25, 1999.)

The Mystery in Your Milk

A censored story from Fox News about Monsanto’s Bovine Growth Hormone. (Earth Island Journal, Summer 2001.)

Petition to Withdraw Approval of rBGH

Petition seeking the withdrawal of the animal drug application approval for Posilac (rBGH). Supplement to the Petition. (Center for Technology Assessment, December 15, 1998.)

rBGH Encyclopedia

A comprehensive report about the public health impacts of the use of rBGH.

Report of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Expert Panel on rbST

The US allows recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), also known as recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST), to be injected in dairy cows. Although this controversial, genetically engineered hormone causes cows to artificially increase milk production by 10 to 15 percent, safety concerns have led the European Union and Canada to ban rBGH. Prepared for Health Canada by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, this report describes the adverse health effects of rBGH on cows.

Statement of Michael Hansen

A statement by Consumers Union’s Dr. Michael Hansen about the FDA’s Assessment of rBGH. A Canadian investigation revealed that the US Food & Drug Administration misled the public about a key 90-day Monsanto rBGH rat-feeding study.