Understanding concentrated animal feeding operations and their impact on communities

A CAFO is a specific type of large-scale industrial agricultural facility that raises animals, usually at high-density, for the consumption of meat, eggs, or milk. To be considered a CAFO, a farm must first be categorized as an animal feeding operation (AFO). An AFO is a lot or facility where animals are kept confined and fed or maintained for 45 or more days per year, and crops, vegetation, or forage growth are not sustained over a normal growing period (Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2009). CAFOs are classified by the type and number of animals they contain, and the way they discharge waste into the water supply. CAFOs are AFOs that contain at least a certain number of animals, or have a number of animals that fall within a range and have waste materials that come into contact with the water supply. This contact can either be through a pipe that carries manure or wastewater to surface water, or by animal contact with surface water that runs through their confined area.The Environmental Health Services Branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) encouraged the development of this product and provided technical oversight and financial support. This publication was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number 5U38HM000512. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC.understanding_cafos_nalboh.pdf2010Cooperative Agreement Number 5U38HM00051