In July 2021, we joined a diverse coalition of organizations in officially endorsing the Farm System Reform Act (FSRA) (HR 4421/S 2332).

This common-sense legislation restricts the expansion and abuses of factory farms, which have been proven to harm animals, communities, and the environment.

Introduced by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA), and others, the FSRA aims to “crack down on monopolistic practices, invest billions in the transition to a more resilient food system, [and] place a moratorium on large factory farms.”

You may already know that nearly 10 billion animals are killed for human consumption each year in the U.S.—and of those, 99% are raised on factory farms. These industrial animal farms (also called Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations or CAFOs) maximize profits not only at the expense of animals, but people and the environment, too.

Today, the system incentivizes farm operations to become bigger and more concentrated, leading to high stocking densities and unsanitary conditions for animals. CAFOs poison local water and air, which has been termed a “massive regulatory failure”. They also cause the death of more than 17,000 people living in the United States every year.

According to Senator Cory Booker:

If the FSRA passes, it means:

• No new large factory farms or expansions of existing factory farms
• Phasing out the largest factory farms by 2040
• Leveling the playing field by making it easier for family farmers to compete against large corporations
• Holding corporations responsible for pollution and other harms
• $10 billion per year for 10 years for farmers to transition out of factory farming