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A Web site providing scientific information about concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) will help communities make more informed decisions about where to site these facilities.
“We wanted to develop a source of information that is based on science, not sentiment,” says Alan Grant, head of Purdue Agriculture’s Department of Animal Sciences. The information is targeted to members of zoning boards and planning commissions, Extension educators, citizens and farmers.
 “It’s designed to be a clearinghouse of unbiased scientific information covering different issues related to modern animal agriculture,” says Paul Ebner, Purdue Extension specialist in animal science.
“Let’s say a zoning board has to make a decision about allowing a producer to build a CAFO within 5 miles of an elementary school,” Ebner says. “Zoning board members receive information from the producer, the local commodity group’s organization and parents of schoolchildren, as well as neighbors of the producer and the school.”
Much of the information zoning board members receive is biased and has strong emotions behind it, Ebner says. “Now, the zoning board can visit the CAFO Web site and read about the environmental and public health issues of animal agriculture that could potentially affect children attending the school and sort myth from fact.”
The Web site www.ansc.purdue.edu/CAFO covers environmental issues, public health issues, social and economic issues, and general information.
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