Perceptions of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)

1
Perceptions of Concentrated Animal Feeding
Operations (CAFOs)

• Presentation by Jeff S. Sharp
• OLC Annual Meeting Industry Symposium
• Plain City, Ohio
• February 24, 2003

2
Contact Information

• Jeff S. Sharp
• 311 Ag. Admin. Bldg.
• 2120 Fyffe Road
• Columbus, OH 43210
• E-mail sharp.123_at_osu.edu
• Phone [phone]

3
Outline of Presentation

• Project background
• General ag-related findings
• Livestock related attitudes
• Familiarity with the issues
• Level of concern about large-scale livestock
• Conclusions future plans

4
Project Background

• Data are from the 2002 Version of the Ohio Survey
  of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Issues
• A biennial survey of Ohioans funded by
• OSU Department of Human Community Resource
  Development
• OSU Extension, OARDC, College of FAES
• Focus on social issues in agriculture as they
  relate to the ecological paradigm

5
Survey Methodology

• A stratified sample of 7,976 Ohioans was selected
  from rural and Urban Ohio
• Response rate of 56.4 was achieved
• Over 4,000 respondents

6
Survey Sample Compared to State Population
Statistics

• Sample closely matches 2000 Census statistics on
• gender, age (over 24), households w/ kids,
  employment status and household incomes
• Limitations
• sample had lower proportion of renters, lower
  of 18-24 year olds, and lower proportion of
  African Americans than expected compared to state
  population statistics

7
Respondents by place of residence
8
Ohioans Social Links to Farming and Rural Areas
9
Parents ever owned or operated a farm
10
Grandparents ever owned or operated a farm
11
Number of farmers known
12
Observation on Ohioans Social Links to Ag.

• Despite a very small proportion of Ohioans
  residing on farms, many Ohioans have connections
  to agriculture through family histories or
  regular social interaction
• These relationships can be an important social
  resourcefor teaching about agriculture, for
  garnering support, etc.

13
Views of Agriculture, Farmers and the
Environment
14
Overall, farming positively contributes to the
quality of life in Ohio

• 1 Strongly Disagreed or Disagreed
• 7 Undecided
• 92 Agreed or Strongly Agreed

15
Ohios economy will suffer if it continues to
lose farmers

• 5 Strongly Disagreed or Disagreed
• 15 Undecided
• 80 Agreed or Strongly Agreed

16
Q. I trust Ohio farmers to protect the
environment.

• 12 Strongly Disagreed or Disagreed
• 29 Undecided
• 59 Agreed or Strongly Agreed

17
Q. Ohio farmers are generally sensitive to the
concerns of nonfarm neighbors.

• 11 Strongly Disagreed or Disagreed
• 45 Undecided
• 44 Agreed or Strongly Agreed

18
Q. Environmental protection laws regulating
farming practices are too strict.

• 19 Strongly Disagreed or Disagreed
• 59 Undecided
• 22 Agreed or Strongly Agreed

19
Observation on Farmers and the Environment

• There is a tremendous repository of good will
  toward farming and farmers among Ohioans but
• There appears to be a sizable amount of
  indecision regarding farmings impact on the
  environment
• The Ohio Survey will be monitoring this
  indecision to identify any trends

20
Ohioans Views of Large-Scale Livestock and Poultry
21
Familiarity with Livestock Issues

• Respondents were asked Are you familiar with the
  issues associated with large-scale poultry and
  livestock facilities?
• 33 percent of respondents indicated yes
• 67 percent indicated no

22
Familiarity by place of residence
23
Familiarity by region of the state
24
Concern about livestock

• How concerned are you about the development of
  large-scale poultry and livestock production
  facilities in Ohio?
• 21 percent very concerned
• 51 percent somewhat concerned
• 28 percent not at all concerned

25
Concern among those familiar with the issues

• Concern was higher among those indicating they
  were familiar with the issues
• 34 percent very concerned
• 51 percent somewhat concerned
• 15 percent not at all concerned

26
Level of Concern by region (among those familiar
with the issues)
27
Level of Concern by age (among those familiar
with the issues)
28
Observations on Familiarity Concern

• Very strong regional pattern to who was familiar
  with the issue in 2002
• Some association between age and level of concern
• Also find that persons living in cities, and
  persons aware of a livestock facility near where
  they live also express higher levels of concern

29
Ohioans Attitudes about livestock among those
familiar w/ the issue
30
Q. Large-scale poultry and livestock production
facilities in rural areas are a threat to rural
quality of life.

• 22 Strongly Disagreed or Disagreed
• 19 Undecided
• 59 Agreed or Strongly Agreed

31
Q. There needs to be increased regulation of
livestock production in Ohio to protect the
environment.

• 17 Strongly Disagreed or Disagreed
• 26 Undecided
• 57 Agreed or Strongly Agreed

32
Q. Large-scale poultry and livestock facilities
pose a serious threat to water and stream quality
in Ohio

• 11 Strongly Disagreed or Disagreed
• 18 Undecided
• 71 Agreed or Strongly Agreed

33
Q. Odors are the most serious problem with
large-scale poultry and livestock facilities in
Ohio

• 43 percent Strongly Disagree or Disagree
• 16 percent Undecided
• 42 percent Agree or Strongly Agree

34
Q. Large-scale livestock facilities positively
contribute to the economy of Ohio.

• 13 Strongly Disagreed or Disagreed
• 27 Undecided
• 60 Agreed or Strongly Agreed

35
Q. In general, increased regulation of the
treatment of animals in farming is needed.

• 34 Strongly Disagreed or Disagreed
• 23 Undecided
• 43 Agreed or Strongly Agreed

36
Q. Animal agriculture raises serious ethical
questions about the treatment of animals

• 37 Strongly Disagreed or Disagreed
• 29 Undecided
• 34 Agreed or Strongly Agreed

37
Observations on Ohioans Attitudes of Livestock

• There is substantial concern about the
  environmental impacts of large-scale livestock
• Additional analysis shows that Ohioans that view
  economic benefits of livestock have lower
  environmental concerns

38
Observations (cont.)

• Livestock welfare concern is mixed among Ohioans,
  but is found to have a modest impact on overall
  levels of concern about livestock developments

39
Concluding Observations

• Through 2002 this was a regional issue
• Social capital (trust and networks among
  farmers and nonfarmers) is associated with lower
  concern
• Family histories associated with agriculture
  appears to temper some concern

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Concluding Observations on Livestock (cont.)

• As we track this issue into the future, will
  recent changes in the regulatory environment
  impact environmental concerns
• Will also be tracking animal welfare concern, how
  is it changing and is it influencing other views
  or behaviors

41
Future plans of interest

• The 2004 version of the Ohio Survey of Food,
  Agriculture, and Environmental Issues is
  currently in development
• Some questions related to livestock concern and
  animal welfare concern will be repeated from 2002
• Results from this project should begin to be
  available in Fall of 2004.

42
Future Plans (cont.)

• New project, under leadership of Bob Birkenholz
  and Bill Flinn, to conduct case study research
  examining differences between contested and less
  contested large-scale livestock developments in
  Ohio
• Collect both interview and survey data in select
  communities to understand social dimensions of
  why facilities are opposed or not.