Food and Water Watch has released an interactive map of factory farms in the United States. According to the map, Michigan has the 11th highest number of factory farms in the nation with 220 farms. Allegan County has the most farms in Michigan with 38, followed by Cass with 27, Ottawa with 18, and St. Joseph with 13. Bordering states had significantly more factory farms, with Illinois having 970, Indiana with 788, and Ohio with 413. The state with the most was Iowa with a total of 3,876 factory farms.
The map was produced as part of a report titled “Turning Farms into Factories” that outlines the reasons why factory farms have become the dominant method of meat production in the United States. Additionally, the report examines the environmental, public health, and economic consequences of factory farms. The report explains that factory farms have increased in prevalence due to technological advances in agriculture, including the discovery that if vitamins A and D and antibiotics are given to animals that they can be kept indoors year long. At the same time, there has been significant consolidation and corporatization in the agriculture as part of an effort to maximize profits and production.
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