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Central CA Major Hotspot for Factory Farms

California's Central Valley has the largest concentration of animal feeding operations in the country, and these farms significantly impact the environment and local communities, according to a new study from the University of Michigan.

Researchers mapped large cattle and pig farms nationwide, discovering that California hosts nearly 1,400 cattle AFOs.

Sanaz Chamanara led the study while earning her PhD in Michigan and now works as a researcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

She explained that air pollution is 28% worse in areas near cattle AFOs, specifically due to higher levels of fine particulate matter under 2.5 micrometers in size.

"Two-point-five is a concern," said Chamanara, "because it lingers in the air, and its association with asthma, lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and leukemia."

The pollution originates from dust stirred up by cattle and from large waste lagoons near AFOs.

The industry trade group Western United Dairies criticizes the study, claiming it doesn't account for pollution from transportation and human sources, a point the authors deny.

Tulare County has the most feedlots in the Central Valley, with 304 facilities. When a farm has more than 1,000 animals, it is called a concentrated animal feeding operation, or CAFO.

Chamanara said communities near CAFOs tend to have many commonalities, often hosting a high percentage of vulnerable, low-income Latino residents.

"The poverty is higher, the uninsured people are higher," said Chamanara. "But we should mention that, actually, the unemployment rate is lower because these CAFOs also offer job opportunities."

This study creates the first national database of its kind. Earlier this month, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit seeking to force AFOs to report air pollutants to local and state agencies.