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2009 Ride for Sustainable Agriculture A 250-mile bicycle journey to raise awareness of industrial farming and raise money for Midwest Environmental Advocates’s Factory Farm campaign David Rosenheim, CEO of the internet music company JamBase, spent much of his youth roaming the countryside near his family’s farm in Steuben, Crawford County, in Southwest Wisconsin’s “Driftless Region.” This area is a mecca of organic, sustainable agriculture. Organic Valley, the nation’s largest farmer-owned organic cooperative, makes its home in La Farge, and Vernon County boasts more organic farms than any other county in Wisconsin. But Southwest Wisconsin, like other parts of the state, is threatened by the expansion of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). These “Factory Farms” are industrial livestock facilities that house thousands of animals under one roof and produce millions of gallons of liquid waste each year. Larger factory farms also release toxic amounts of air pollution, and are major contributors to climate change because of the methane they produce and fossil fuels they use. The steep hills and valleys and fractured bedrock of the Driftless Region make it unsuitable for factory farming, yet increasingly agribusiness interests and even out-of-state investors are targeting this region for industrial-scale expansion. Citizen groups such as the Crawford Stewardship Project, Valley Stewardship Network, and the newly-formed Alliance Concerned for Environmental Safety (ACES) have engaged their communities around the issue to fight new CAFOs. An avid cyclist, David has partnered with Midwest Environmental Advocates to raise awareness of the threats posed by factory farming to the environment and public health and to fundraise for MEA’s Factory Farming campaign through a three-day ride from Madison, WI to Steuben, WI. Along the way David will be joined by friends and CAFO activists from around the region and from as far away as California. On Day 1, the cyclists will ride from Madison to Steuben; on Days 2 and 3, they will enjoy extended rides among the rolling hills and lush valleys of Crawford County. Midwest Environmental Advocates is Wisconsin’s first and only nonprofit environmental law center. MEA’s mission is to provide legal and technical assistance to citizens and community organizations fighting for clean air, clean water, and environmental justice in the Western Great Lakes region. Through MEA’s Factory Farm campaign, we have:
With your help MEA will be able to continue and expand its Factory Farm campaign in 2009-2010, with the goals of fostering the creation of a state-wide network of CAFO activists; improving the application and enforcement of Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act requirements to CAFOs; and returning local control to livestock siting decisions. Please support David in his ride and contribute to MEA’s Factory Farm campaign! If you are a cyclist and would like to participate in David’s bike ride, even for just a day, please contact Jamie Saul at jsaul@midwestadvocates.org or (608) 251-5047 x.1 Learn More about Factory Farms Factory Farms pose significant threats to the environment, public health, and rural communities: Water Pollution – CAFOs generate massive quantities of animal waste, far more than most cities; this waste is commonly stored in open-air manure lagoons before being applied on nearby crop land. The manure from CAFOs contains nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, fueling the growth of harmful algae in our lakes and streams, as well as bacteria and other pathogens that contaminate groundwater supplies and a host of “emerging” pollutants such as pharmaceuticals and antibiotics. When manure is land-applied, it can run off into surface waters or leach pollutants into the groundwater below. While manure in appropriate quantities is nature’s ideal fertilizer, the millions of gallons produced by CAFOs create a severe waste disposal problem. Unlike other industries or municipalities that expend large amounts of taxpayer dollars on wastewater treatment, CAFOs are not required to treat their waste before disposal. Climate Change – CAFOs contribute to global warming by the emission of greenhouse gases far more potent than carbon dioxide. Livestock facilities worldwide account for roughly 18% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions – even more than the transportation sector. Methane, a gas with twenty times the global warming potential of CO2, is produced during the digestion process and by the decomposition of animal waste. Nitrous oxide is almost 300 times as potent as CO2, and is released from open manure lagoons. CAFOs contribute indirectly to climate change through the use of fossil fuels to operate the facilities, produce fertilizer and transport milk and feed, and by the conversion or degradation of natural landscapes to grow feed crops and build facilities. Toxic Air Pollution – CAFOs produce toxic gasses such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and methanol that threaten the health of farm workers and nearby residents. Ammonia in high concentrations causes eye, throat, and lung irritation or burning, and can be fatal. Airborne ammonia can also be deposited on surface waters, leading to nitrification of the water body and the growth of harmful algae. Hydrogen sulfide can lead to severe breathing difficulty and permanent neurological impairments. Methanol, or wood alcohol, is listed as a hazardous air pollutant under the Clean Air Act and can depress neurological function and cause unconsciousness or death in high doses. Unlike other industries, CAFOs have until now escaped regulation under state and federal clean air laws and have lobbied for exemptions from toxic gas reporting requirements. Public Health – CAFOs pose a direct threat to public health in several ways. The water and air pollution they cause can lead to human disease and hospitalization due to drinking of nitrate or pathogen-contaminated water or the inhalation of toxic gasses. The concentration of animals in close quarters creates a breeding ground for diseases that can spread quickly; the pharmaceuticals used to combat disease in the animals can fuel the growth of new antibiotic-resistant strains that may be transmitted to humans. Factory Farming has been linked to increased infant mortality, elevated pathogen levels in drinking water and surface waters, contamination of the food supply, and the spread of influenza. Because of these and other risks, in 2003 the American Public Health Association recommended a precautionary moratorium on all new CAFOs. Public Nuisance – CAFOs can create nuisance conditions that depress local property values and make the lives of neighbors miserable. Overpowering odors, chiefly caused by the concentrated emissions of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, can be debilitating. Flies, truck traffic, lighting, dust, and noise can turn a quiet rural community into an industrial corridor, and spilled manure from pipes or trucks creates offensive and dangerous driving conditions. Socioeconomic Impacts – CAFOs typically provide fewer jobs and invest less money locally per animal than their family farm counterparts. Many large CAFOs are owned by absentee landowners who are not engaged in the community and are less inclined to advance the interests of local citizens. CAFOs are a direct threat to the survival of nearby family farms; they flood the market with cheap milk or meat that further depresses prices for these products, and use their political influence to obtain government subsidies and tax breaks unavailable to family farmers. The tax income generated by CAFOs is often more than offset by the costs needed to maintain local roads, administer local zoning or environmental ordinances, and protect public health.
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“The present system of producing food animals in the United States is not sustainable and presents an unacceptable level of risk to public health and damage to the environment, as well as unnecessary harm to the animals we raise for food.” The Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production, |
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