Empty Pastures : Confined Animals and the Transformation of the Rural Landscape

Over the past century American agriculture has shifted dramatically with small, commercial farms finding it increasingly difficult to compete with large-scale (mostly indoor) animal feeding operations (AFOs). In this book, Terence J. Centner investigates the environmental, social, economic, and political impact of the rise of the so-called factory farm, exposing the ramifications of the contemporary trend toward industrial-scale food production. Just as Rachel Carson's landmark Silent Spring used the disappearance of songbirds as a jumping-off point for a work that raised public awareness of pesticides' devastating environmental impact, Empty Pastures sees the dwindling numbers of livestock in the American countryside as a symptom of a broader transformation, one with serious consequences for the rural landscape and its inhabitants—animal as well as human. After outlining the rise of the AFO, Centner examines the troubling consequences of consolidation in animal farming and suggests a number of remedies. The issues he tackles include groundwater contamination, the loss of biodiversity, animal welfare, concentrated odors and other nuisances, soil erosion, and the economic effects of the disappearance of the small family farm. Inspired by largely abandoned traditional practices rather than a radical and unrealistic vision of a return to an idealized past, Centner proposes a series of pragmatic reforms for regulating factory farms to halt ecological degradation and revitalize rural communities. | Contents Abbreviations 1. Serenity in the Countryside 2. Changes in Agricultural Production 3. The Production of Animals 4. Concentrations of Animals and Water Pollution 5. State AFO Regulations 6. The Environment of Rural America 7. Agricultural Conservation Efforts 8. Odors and Nuisance Law 9. Pesticide Contamination Precedents: Liability and Management 10. Accountability and Enforcement 11. Transformations in Food Production 12. Plowing Forward to a Cleaner Environment Appendix 1: State Regulatory Agencies for Animal Feeding Operations Appendix 2: State CAFO Regulations Index Illustrations follow page 000 Library of Congress Subject Headings for this publication: Agriculture United States, Agricultural ecology United States, Agriculture Environmental aspects United States, Landscape changes United States| Terence J. Centner is a professor of agricultural and applied economics at the University of Georgia. He is the author or coauthor of many articles in scholarly journals. Annotation "Over the past century American agriculture has shifted dramatically, with small, commercial farms finding it increasingly difficult to compete with large-scale (mostly indoor) animal feeding operations (AFOs). In this book Terence J. Centner investigates environmental, social, economic, and political considerations related to the rise of the so-called factory farm, exposing the ramifications of the contemporary trend toward industrial-scale food productions." "Just as Rachel Carson's landmark Silent Spring used the disappearance of songbirds as a jumping-off point for a work that raised public awareness of pesticides' devastating environmental impact, Empty Pastures sees the dwindling numbers of livestock in the American countryside as a symptom of a broader transformation, one with serious consequences for the rural landscape and its inhabitants - animal as well as human." "After outlining the rise of the AFO, Centner examines the troubling consequences of consolidation in animal farming and suggests a number of rememdies. The issues he tackles include groundwater contamination, the loss of biodiversity, animal welfare, concentrated odors and other nuisances, soil erosion, and the economic effects of the disappearance of the small family farm."--BOOK JACKET. Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved Serenity In The Countryside -- Changes In Agricultural Production -- The Production Of Animals -- Concentrations Of Animals And Water Pollution -- State Afo Regulations -- The Environment Of Rural America -- Agricultural Conservation Efforts -- Odors And Nuisance Law -- Pesticide Contamination Precedents : Liability And Management -- Accountability And Enforcement -- Transformations In Food Production -- Plowing Forward To A Cleaner Environment. Terence J. Centner. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Empty Pastures describes the loss of rural landscapes due to modern animal production practices, and challenges society to reduce agricultural pollution while helping sustain farmers and rural communities.