Economic Issues

Factory farms have disastrous impacts on local and regional economies. Unlike traditional family farms, industrial livestock operations provide very few jobs, and typically purchase feed, supplies, and building materials from outside the region. As a result, factory farms provide little or no stimulus to local economies – yet they impose serious costs.

In addition to damaging the environment and compromising the health, safety, and quality of life enjoyed by members of surrounding communities, factory farms cause property values to decrease dramatically. Meanwhile, despite the potential reduction in tax revenue, local communities are forced to increase expenditures on the development and maintenance of roads and other infrastructure. Ultimately, when a factory farm relocates or goes out of business, the surrounding community is left with a depressed economy, low property values, and the cost of the environmental damage caused by the industrial facility. Learn more in the Economic Impact of Factory Farms section.

On a broader scale, the factory farm model of production has pushed traditional family farms out of business while spawning the emergence of a handful of incredibly powerful agribusiness corporations, which now have tremendous influence over how our food is produced. Learn more in the Agribusiness & Concentration of Production section.

In addition to degrading the environment, compromising human health, and crippling local economies, factory farms have devastating effects on the social fabric of surrounding communities. Learn more about the socioeconomic impacts of factory farms in the Rural Regions section.