The Pew Charitable Trusts is driven by the power of knowledge to solve today's most challenging problems. Pew applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improve public policy, inform the public and stimulate civic life.
The Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming is working to implement the recommendations of the Pew Commission on Farm Animal Production. Read more.
Our policy staff is constantly scanning the landscape for issues where Pew can make a difference, but not all of these initiatives fall neatly our main categories of global warming, marine protection or wilderness preservation. When problem areas are identified, Pew looks for ways it can support new research efforts as well as advocacy.
One area in which Pew is currently involved is in analyzing the impact of the industrial production of farm animal on key economic and social aspects of our society. Every year, nearly 10 billion animals are raised and slaughtered in America. Within the space of only a few decades, the U.S. livestock system has been transformed dramatically from a system in which most animals were raised by family-owned, small or mid-size farms, to one that produces livestock in mass numbers through concentrated animal feeding operations owned or controlled by large corporations.
Pew partnered with the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health to establish the independent National Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production.
The commission’s goal is to conduct an assessment of the impact of the industry on public health, the environment, animal welfare and rural communities. As part of its mission, the commission will produce a series of recommendations on ways to mitigate the negative impacts of industrialized livestock production, while simultaneously providing quality food products at reasonable prices to American consumers.
For more information, visit the Pew Commission on Farm Animal Production Web site.
Oct 01, 2008 - Industrialized animal farms put meat on the table—and create problems. Bill McKibben examines a Pew commission’s recommendations to reduce the negative effects.
Read More
Apr 29, 2008 - The current industrial farm animal production system often poses unacceptable risks to public health, the environment and the welfare of the animals themselves, according to an extensive two and a half year examination conducted by the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production.
Read: Summary View: Full Report (Adobe PDF)
Jan 30, 2008 - The problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is growing in the United States and worldwide. This report explores the scope of the AMR problem and what can or should be done about AMR from the standpoint of animal agriculture.
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