Farm Bureau, EWG, Food & Water Watch react to ag census
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Duvall
| The American Farm Bureau Federation, the Environmental Working Group, and Food & Water Watch had different reactions to the five-year Census of Agriculture released recently by the Agriculture Department. Noting that the latest Census of Agriculture reports 141,733 fewer farms in 2022 than in 2017 and that the number of farm acres fell by 20 million to 880,100,848, Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall said, “The latest census numbers put in black and white the warnings our members have been expressing for years.” |
| “Increased regulations, rising supply costs, lack of available labor and weather disasters have all squeezed farmers to the point that many of them find it impossible to remain economically sustainable,” Duvall said. Duvall urged Congress to pass a new farm bill, saying a bill “that addresses these challenges is the best way to help create an environment that attracts new farmers and enables families to pass their farms to the next generation.” “While it’s encouraging that the number of beginning farmers increased, the latest census numbers show the number of farmers over the age of 65 is outpacing younger farmers. Almost 1.3 million farmers are now at or beyond retirement age, while just 300,000 farmers are under the age of 35,” Duvall said. The Environmental Working Group said the data showed that “factory farms” producing cattle, chicken and hogs continue to grow in number. “Across all three animal types — cattle, chickens and hogs — the number of animals produced in the largest factory farms increased,” EWG said. “There were 28% more cattle produced in the largest facilities in 2022 than in 2012, 24% more hogs and 24% more chickens.” “Particularly striking was the growth in the sheer number of broiler chickens produced in factory farms with 500,000 or more birds — almost 1.4 billion more chickens were produced in these huge operations in 2022 than in 2012. The USDA’s data also show a shrinking number of farms overall for cattle and broiler chickens in 2017 and 2022 than in 2012.” EWG added, “A concentration of livestock in larger numbers produces more animal waste, which often pollutes our water and air. These environmental damages are also dangerous for public health, with toxins from animal manure sickening people and poisoning wildlife. “And the largest livestock operations are also bad for the climate. Cows release methane to the atmosphere through their burps, and cattle and hog manure releases methane and nitrous oxide, two greenhouse gases more powerful than carbon dioxide. “The USDA’s new data show that without policy changes, factory farms will continue to get bigger and bigger, wreaking havoc on public health, the environment and the climate.” |
| Food & Water Watch Research Director Amanda Starbuck issued the following statement: “America today is truly a factory farming nation. Status quo legislating in Washington is enabling a corporate feeding frenzy in rural America. “As industrial confinements drive family-scale farmers off their land, we are left with skyrocketing numbers of animals on factory farms producing enormous amounts of waste. The benefits flow to private coffers while our communities and environment are left holding the bag. “Enough is enough — Congress must pass the Farm System Reform Act to ban factory farming now.”Starbuck was referring to a bill introduced by Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., in 2023. |
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