New Drone Footage Captures Strange Addition to a Factory Farm

Breaking drone footage reveals what could be one of the strangest things ever seen at a factory farm. The aerial footage shows a device capturing methane from a covered pond of cow feces for use as biogas. 

Biogas

Instead of working to remedy the devastating environmental impacts of factory farming, Big Ag has created a new money-making industry that could further entrench the current system. 

Biogas—which should really be called “dirty factory-farm gas”—may actually incentivize factory farms to raise more animals so they can create more methane, a greenhouse gas dozens of times more potent than carbon dioxide. In fact, our research shows that some dairy facilities have already increased their herd sizes after having biogas systems permitted or installed. 

The global food system contributes nearly one-third of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, and as a leading source of methane, industrial animal agriculture is a major part of the problem. But of course, the disastrous effects of factory farming go well beyond methane.

Factory-Farm Pollution

Each year, slaughterhouses dump millions of pounds of feces, blood, and other contaminants into rivers and streams across the United States. In fact, slaughterhouses and meat-processing facilities are top industrial sources of phosphorus and nitrogen pollution, which promotes algae blooms that can make water unsafe for drinking or outdoor recreation and create oxygen-deprived zones that cause aquatic animals to flee or die.

Industrial animal agriculture often victimizes the most vulnerable among us. According to the EPA, a stunning 74% of meat plants that discharge waste into waterways are within one mile of low-income communities or communities of color. The waste from factory farms and slaughterhouses not only contaminates waterways but forces nearby communities to endure the stench and insects that come with these facilities.

Farmer Exploitation

Industrial animal agriculture also fails farmers. Some have compared themselves to indentured servants in their relationships with big meat companies. They take on massive debt, often struggle to pay it off, and have little to no control over their operations. Companies can also terminate farmer contracts with not much or no warning and often retaliate against farmers for complaining or organizing. 

Forced to raise animals in crowded conditions, farmers commonly incur injuries and develop health problems. For example, exposure to high levels of ammonia from animal waste often irritates the skin, eyes, throat, and lungs.  

This barely scrapes the surface! Industrial animal agriculture fails farmers in so many more ways.

“It’s time to stop contributing to the problem and become part of the solution.” —Tanner Faaborg, Transfarmation™ farmer

Take Action

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which President Biden recently signed into law, includes conservation funding for climate-smart agricultural practices. Big Ag wants to spend these federal dollars on false solutions, like dirty factory-farm gas, that would further entrench the factory-farming system.

This climate-smart funding must go to real solutions. One such solution is supporting farmers who wish to transition their factory farms to climate-smart operations. 

It’s time to prioritize our planet by directing climate funding to true environmental solutions. Urge the Biden administration to make farm transitions eligible for IRA climate-smart funding!