In 2005, journalist David Kirby published his book “Evidence of Harm,” which investigated the relationship between mercury-contaminated vaccines and autism. The book became a New York Times best seller and source of great controversy.
Five years later, Kirby’s new book “Animal Factory” shifts his focus to Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, agricultural producers similar to factory farms where livestock are raised in confined spaces.Kirby will visit Eugene next week to attend the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference on Feb. 25-28 at the University’s School of Law.
Law student Laura Beaton, co-director of the conference, said “Animal Factory” comes out
March 2 and will be available before then exclusively at the conference.
“We’re very excited to have him here because he’s a best-selling author and knows a lot about CAFOs,” Beaton said.
“Animal Factory” follows three American farming families over the course of about 20 years and demonstrates how large-scale, market-dominating CAFOs hurt communities.
“It’s the story about three different American families in three different parts of the country,” Kirby said. “These are mostly conservative, country families, but then one day industrial farms move into their area. We see how these CAFOs lead to the
degradation of air, water and soil, destroy communities and economic opportunities and cause diseases.”
In recent years, factory farms and CAFOs have become divisive subjects because of their reported impact on the environment, human health, animal well-being and small businesses. The Environmental Protection Agency has even developed certain criteria for what constitutes a CAFO.
Kirby asserts in his book that new research conducted by groups such as the United Nations shows that raising cattle produces more greenhouse gases than cars. He also says that runoff from CAFOs contaminates water sources and kills fish, and that poorly processed meat can be contaminated with E. coli, salmonella and types of worms.
One of Kirby’s major points in “Animal Factory” is that CAFOs hurt small, independent family farms. Because CAFOs produce so much meat so quickly, family farms are often forced out of business because they can’t compete in the market.
“As consumers, we have a right of choice to food that is raised in a more sustainable way,” Kirby said. “It is important for more sustainable farms to have equal access to the market. We should give the consumer and the independent producer an even field to compete on.”
Eugene is home to multiple free-range, pasture-raised farms, such as The Living Earth Farm.
Sharon Blick, who runs the farm, advocates pasture-raised food for health and environmental reasons.
“On these farms, the manure is spread out in the field by having the animals free in the pasture, so there aren’t concentrations of manure, which cause pollution to the water and air,” Blick said. “There are many nutritional studies that show pasture-raised meat has more fatty acids and omega-3s. You also know that you’re eating happy animals, so that’s important for your emotional health.”
Kirby said that he didn’t write the book to push an agenda, but that he simply believed people should be more aware of where their food comes from.
“I didn’t set out to write an anti-CAFO book. This wasn’t supposed to be a manifesto; this is supposed to be a story,” Kirby said. “The reader has the opportunity to make up their own mind. Food is very personal; everyone makes their own choice. I’m not telling people what to eat.”
Kirby considers Eugene a hub for sustainable, environmentally conscious agriculture.
“I got the sense that (Eugene) was a thriving center for this well-educated, environmentally
aware, progressive way of thinking,” Kirby said. “Even back then it was very ‘hippie-dippy,’ but they were onto something with the healthy food movement.”
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