Factory farms

New EPA emissions data should guide Biden on agriculture and climate

“We must listen to science — and act,” reads President Joe Biden’s January 27 Executive Order on climate change. For the farming sector, the latest greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicates that the U.S. needs to transition away from factory farm systems of meat and dairy production to reduce rising agriculture emissions.

A roadmap for the Biden-Harris administration: Re-designing farm systems for the climate crisis

As the Biden-Harris transition team rapidly fills key cabinet positions and senior leadership, it also is setting priorities for the first 100 days. If the “Build Back Better” mantra is to become reality, particularly in advancing equitable solutions to the climate crisis, the transition team will have to think systemically — not just agency by agency.

An unexpected coalition offers expected policy recommendations 

There is growing consensus that we need to support farmers to be part of the climate solution.

New rules weaken protections for rural communities and the climate

One of the nation’s bedrock environmental protections is the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and it’s particularly critical for rural communities.

House climate report sets path for 2021 — but is it enough?

With special thanks to Tara Ritter, Karen Hansen-Kuhn and Steve Suppan, who contributed to this article.

Public money to plunder the planet: development banks fund Big Meat and Dairy

A flurry of recent news shows that international development banks have ramped up public money to factory farms and mega-dairies in the last decade.

Cory Booker's halt on factory farms would help the climate

Originally published by Common Dreams on January 15, 2020. 

EU-Mercosur deal lets agribusiness off the hook and exacerbates climate crisis

In August, out-of-control fires in the Amazon brought home the connections between the destruction of the rain forest, factory farms producing meat for international markets and global warming. Media attention may have moved on to newer wi

House needs to go big to address climate crisis

The visceral threats of the climate crisis, experienced through recent Midwest floods and California’s wildfi