The Spatial Distribution of Swine CAFOS in North Carolina: Implications for Environmental Justice

• In Event: 082 - Open Refereed Roundtable Session I
  In Refereed Roundtable: A. Table 24. Medical/Health II

Abstract

The production of livestock in the United States has undergone a significant transformation over the last several decades and small family farms have largely given way to large-scale industrial farms. The production of food animals, including hogs, is now primarily carried out via high density farming operations called concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). North Carolina is the second top producer of hogs in the United States and as swine production in the state has expanded from less than three million hogs each year to approximately ten million, CAFOs have become increasingly concentrated in the eastern region of the state. The rapid growth and expansion of industrial swine production operations within North Carolina have come under increasing scrutiny in the past two decades due to documented impacts on the health and quality of life of those that live, work and go to school in areas nearby. Further, environmental justice concerns due to the concentration of CAFOs within eastern North Carolina, an area that has historically been home to low income minority populations, have also been raised. This work uses data from the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources to geographically locate and map all swine CAFO operations in the state with active permits during the year of 2014. GIS and spatial analytic methods are used to explore the relationship between racial, economic and political characteristics of North Carolina census block groups and proximity to swine CAFOs throughout the state.

Author

• Rachael Lee, Northeastern University