Factory-farmed animals in the US produce at least 7 million pounds of feces per minute. At this rate and volume, their waste can’t be fully contained. Sometimes it contaminates our water. Air. Land. And our bodies—whether we eat animals or not.

Animal agriculture is so unnatural that it destroys nature. Notonlydoesitleaveitswastethroughoutourecosystems—factoryfarminglayswastetoourearth.

In the US alone, around 2.3 billion animals are trapped in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) at any given point. Animals are confined in cages, crates, stalls, and crowded rooms—all designed to restrict movement. Many can’t stretch their wings, or turn their bodies around. They are denied basic welfare protections for corporate profit.

In their greed, the meat and dairy industries created the conditions for animals to produce abnormal amounts of waste. The volume and high concentrations of manure from CAFOs (which are usually located by bodies of water) can’t all be absorbed into the earth. Their runoff—often carrying bacteria and antibiotics—enters our groundwater and surface water, which can lead to ocean dead zones and contaminated irrigation systems. Health and food safety are threatened when fecal matter ends up in crops like romaine lettuce or baby spinach; resultant E. coli or salmonella outbreaks can be deadly.

Factory farming makes animal waste a human rights issue. The people who suffer most from its harms live near CAFOs: These are disproportionately marginalized communities of color, and lower-income communities. CAFO pollution is a significant driver of everything from higher rates of asthma to lower mental health ratings. Along with the pervasive stench, dust from factory farms carries potentially toxic pathogens. And its negative effects are inescapable. CAFOs intrude into these neighborhoods because there are often limited political and financial support systems in place—resources that could protect vulnerable residents from their takeovers.

Only industrialized animal agriculture is to blame for the production of extreme amounts of animal waste. By pledging to stand against this widespread injustice, you can protect animals, people, and our world.