What Is Factory Farm Watch?
Factory Farm Watch is a map and database of the largest, most intensive animal operations in California. In addition to consolidating data from various government databases in one place, it also features data obtained through original, manual research and investigative fieldwork.
It is the most comprehensive single source of information on California's enormous factory farming industry. With this tool, you can learn about these operations' animal populations, environmental impacts, and brand supply chains. Where available, you can see photos and videos of the conditions for animals living in these facilities.
Factory Farm Watch aims to democratize access to information about the often secretive operations and impacts of factory farms in California. It is a resource for journalists, policymakers, advocates, and residents.
How To Use Factory Farm Watch?
Beyond reading the articles, you can start by exploring the map to see which factory farms operate near you.
Filter by brand, facility size, whether it's had an avian flu outbreak, investigative footage, or any OSHA violations. You can also select to see smaller facilities than our usual cutoff, or closed facilities.
Show more detailed information about the facility, including its climate impact, number of animals, and what brands it sells under
See the breakdown of facility types and what the biggest brands are
Turn on or off an overlay that shows the total air pollution in an area, to compare with the locations of factory farms
For some facilities, investigations have provided a closer look at how animals are treated. You can find these by using the “Investigation Footage” filter in the filter tab. Even if a specific facility hasn't been investigated, its page will link to the brand it supplies - where you can find any investigations connected to that brand.
Who Created Factory Farm Watch?
Factory Farm Watch was created by researchers with Direct Action Everywhere through a combination of consolidating open source data and conducting original, manual research and frontline surveillance of factory farms. We are grateful to Climate Trace, Farm Forward, Animal Outlook, and Mercy for Animals for sharing data with us.
