At any given moment, there are over 1.6 billion animals being raised for food across the U.S. The majority of these animals are raised on what the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the agriculture industry call Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). 

We call them factory farms. 

Each factory farm may confine hundreds of thousands of animals in extremely crowded, filthy conditions. In addition to causing immense animal suffering, raising such a large quantity of animals in these conditions causes enormous environmental damage.

The problem may feel overwhelming, but there are achievable solutions. Here are three ways you can celebrate Earth Day while protecting our environment and helping animals on factory farms:

1. Try Our Factory Farm Detox

Choices matter, and every meal is a chance to feed change. A few changes to the way you shop can end factory farming. If every omnivore in the U.S. chose plant-based food one day each week and pasture-raised meat, eggs or dairy another day each week, we could spare 2.8 billion animals from cruel factory farming each year. Additionally, we would reduce our dietary greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and water usage by more than 25%!

Start today! Try our one-week Factory Farm Detox to discover how easy it is to eliminate factory-farmed foods from your diet. We will help you spot the factory farmed food in your stores and find higher-welfare products near you.

2. Support the Farm System Reform Act (FSRA)

Factory farming is hurting billions of animals, and it is responsible for 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions. That’s more than the combined exhaust from all cars, trucks, planes and trains! It is time for a more sustainable food system. 

The Farm System Reform Act is federal legislation that offers a roadmap for a better world for farm animals and the environment. If passed, the FSRA will stop the growth of factory farms and phase them out entirely by 2040 while helping farmers transition to more humane practices and alternative products. 

Your help is needed to pass this critical bill. Use our online form to email your U.S. representative and senators urging them to support the FSRA. 

3. Learn More 

With mounting evidence exposing cruelty within industrial agriculture and its connection to climate change, we are working alongside environmental advocates to replace factory farming with higher-welfare, pasture-based animal farming and emphasize the benefits of plant-based alternatives. 

These resources will help you learn about the effects of factory farming on the environment, the positive impacts of plant-based products and pasture-based farming and how you can make a difference.

This year, celebrate Earth Day by joining the ASPCA to end factory farming. With your help, our nation can transition to a better food system that keeps our planet healthy and protects animals from suffering.