Industrial Farm Animal Production, the Environment, and Public Health

Hosted by the , with an introduction from Senator Tom Harkin (retired). The event is organized in collaboration with the and is part of Iowa Environmental Education Week, co-organized with the

The rapid concentration of farm animal production into factory farms makes meat, dairy, and eggs plentiful and cheap, but this type of agriculture comes at a great cost to human health, communities, and the environment. In a new book, Industrial Farm Animal Production, the Environment, and Public Health, editors James Merchant and Robert Martin bring together public health and other experts to examine some of the most critical topics related to industrial farm animal production. This conference, convened in Des Moines, Iowa - the capital of the state with the greatest density of confined animal feeding operations, will highlight critically important information from the book and provide a forum for expert perspectives on growing threats to public health that are too often overlooked.

Large scale industrial animal operations endanger the health of farm and meatpacking workers, fenceline neighbors, and rural communities. Practices employed in the industrial production of farm animals introduce an array of hazards into the air and water, including antibiotic-resistant pathogens and other microbes as well as nitrates and other harmful chemicals. A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that these have serious implications for the health of agricultural workers and rural community residents, as well as for ecological systems. The burden of animal production isn’t evenly shouldered across our society --industrial animal operations are located predominantly in rural areas, often next to low-income communities of color lacking the political capital to push back against the industry. Despite the clear need for greater worker protection and oversight to mitigate the environmental harms and environmental injustices of these practices, factory farms have been notoriously difficult to regulate. Large global food companies have driven independent producers nearly to extinction, sapped the economic vitality of rural communities, and amassed sweeping political influence at both the state and national levels to effectively prevent mitigation efforts.

This two-day conference will examine pertinant topics such as the history, structure, and trends in the factory farming industry; water and air pollution; infectious disease health effects; community and social impacts; environmental justice and sustainable agriculture; and the impacts of COVID-19 among meatpacking workers. With an introduction by Senator Tom Harkin (retired), the aim of the conference is to highlight the serious risks posed to environmental and human health by current farming systems and to examine local and national strategies for moving towards a system that prioritizes health and well-being.

To see the full agenda, please visit the conference website.

Accommodations

American Sign Language (ASL) and live captions in English will be available for all general session content for all attendees.

ASL interpretation for in person breakout sessions available upon request.

If you have any questions regarding accommodations please contact us at [email protected] or 515-271-3623.

Parking

In-person attendees will be able to park in lot 24, next to the Tom and Ruth Harkin Center. More information about obtaining a vistor parking pass will be sent to registered attendees before the event.

Attend in-person or online

This is a hybrid event. Attendees have the choice to attend in-person at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, or virtually.

The in-person event will take place at Parents Hall in the Olmsted Center at Drake. Lunch will be provided both days.

Online attendees will watch a livestream of all general session content and will have the opportunity to participate in Q&A.

In-person registration for both days will cost $100, although attendence is free for Drake students (with registration) and many scholarship opportunities are available. Please email adam[dot]shriver[at]drake[dot]edu to find out more about opportunities for discounted tickets.

This event is proudly part of Iowa Environmental Education Week, organized with the Iowa Environmental Council. People interested in registering for both this event and the IEC event can recieve a discount by registering at their website.

Photo credit: Jo-Anne McArthur/We Animals Media

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Olmsted Center, 2875 University Avenue, Des Moines, United States