Talk:Concentrated animal feeding operation (version 2)

I've made this page into a redirect because people may search for this term and the information on the page factory farming is basically what they would be looking for. On the other hand if anyone wants to come along and make this into a proper page I support them. Barnaby dawson 14:13, 28 Nov 2004 (UTC)

I agree, if people are looking for factory farming, what they are really looking for is Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) because it is the proper term, factory farming is slang. In my edit I have used the two terms interchangeably so more people will link to it. I am very passionate about ending factory farming and hope people keep adding information. Lauren Hurley 13:42, 10 May 2005

I agree that factory farming most often refers to CAFO-type operations, but I think there is reason to have two separte entries for these two reasons:

It is currently also used in reference to other areas of agriculture , such as fruit and veggies (I just updated the definition on the factory farming page to reflect this). The term does "work" for all types of intensive, concentrated agriculture, so its usage in this broader sense may continue to expand.
I imagine there are details of CAFO operation (e.g. all the technical stuff in the "CAFO Operator's Manual") that wouldn't necessarily fall into the factory farming definition.

Also, I'm not sure but I wonder if ALL CAFOs would automatically be classified as factory farms. IOW, I'm not entirely clear on the various types of CAFO. That should be explained in this CAFO article. - Tsavage 22:27, 23 May 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Just a note -- CAFO links to confined animal feeding operation. You should probably have it link here, and merge the confined article with this one. A google search turns up hits for 'confined animal feeding operation', so I'm not the only person who uses the term. You should probably mention both terms at the beginning of the article. Good luck with the article. Matthias5 21:18, 10 May 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I created the redirect, and copied that page's contents below for use here and/or deletion. - Tsavage 22:47, 23 May 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Great new entry. I'd like to see a list of the ethical and environmental problems suggested by the single sentence in paragraph 4. It's kind of a lonely sentence and warrants some kind of introductory elaboration befor moving onto the 5th paragraph. Vadel

Contents of merged page: "confined animal feeding operation"

NOTE: This is everything from the confined animal feeding operation page, which is now a redirect to here. I suppose this can be used in this article and/or deleted.

Confined animal feeding operation or CAFO is typically a large building that houses thousands of animals, typically chicken, pigs, or dairy cows. In many regions of the United States, CAFOs have replaced the traditional and versatile barn in the rural landscape, as many farms have become specialized 'industrial' units closely aligned to large agricultural companies.

While the operations of a CAFO allow for meat to be harvested cheaply by utilizing economies of scale, some argue against CAFOs for at least two reasons.

The first is that CAFOs treat animals inhumanely. The animals are crowded closely together and sometimes are force-fed.

The second argument against CAFOs is that they often lead to very large amounts of manure, which is difficult to dispose of. In small quantities manure is a valuable resource that can be used as a fertilizer. But in large quantities it can be difficult to get rid of. Temporary storage still leaves the problem of the terrible smell.

Chicken CAFOs in Maryland's Eastern Shore have been implicated in the pollution problems of the Chesapeake Bay. The hog farms in North Carolina led to huge water pollution when that state was struck by a hurricane in the late 1990s

Should Tarkio Missouri have a CAFO

Should we have one its up to you!!!