Democratic presidential candidate and New Jersey senator Cory Booker proposed legislation that would ban new controlled animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and shutter those that already exist by 2040.
The Farm Systems and Reform Act 2019 uses the EPA definition of a “large concentrated animal feeding operation.” This means it is targeting farms with at least 700 cows, 2,500 hogs, 1,000 cattle or 125,000 chickens.
“Our independent family farmers and ranchers are continuing to be squeezed by large, multinational corporations that, because of their buying power and size, run roughshod over the marketplace. We need to fix the broken system – that means protecting family farmers and ranchers and holding corporate integrators responsible for the harm they are causing,” Booker said in a release. “Large factory farms are harmful to rural communities, public health, and the environment and we must immediately begin to transition to a more sustainable and humane system.”
The Farm System Reform Act of 2019 would also hold more responsibility for pollution caused by CAFOs, provide a voluntary buyout for farmers who want to transition out of a CAFO, prohibit the use of ranking systems for paying contract growers, protect livestock and poultry growers from retaliation, create market transparency and protect farmers and ranchers from predatory purchasing practices, and restore mandatory country-of-origin labeling requirements for beef and pork.
According to Drovers, Booker has support from Family Farm Action, Indiana Farmers Union, Pennsylvania Farmers Union, American Grassfed Association, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, Women Food and Agriculture Network, Missouri’s Food for America, Family Dairy Farms LLC, American Public Health Association, Food & Water Action, Center for Food Safety, Public Justice, Waterkeeper Alliance, Natural Resources Defense Council and Mighty Earth.