The method of producing food animals has changed in the United States over the past century, moving from traditional burns to enclosed structures resembling industrial buildings, where animals are raised in high stocking density (commonly known as “Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations,” CAFOs). The objective to maximize profit has resulted in poor farm management; raised issues of environmental pollution, public health, animal rights, and environmental justice, and had socio-economic impacts. Studies concerning the issues are limited to specific regions and types of CAFOs. In addition, studies on the spatial distribution and temporal changes of CAFO at a country scale are lacking. This study bridges some of the gaps by analyzing the spatial distribution of industrial farms in the United States in 2002 and 2007 and their relationship with vulnerable population and exploring the relationships among the concentrations of farms, socio-economic, health, and environmental characteristics of the counties. A range of spatial statistics tools were applied in this study. The study revealed variations in spatial distribution depending on the type of the CAFOs. The issue of environmental justice was found prevalent depending on the types of industrial farms. Each type of industrial farm was found to interact uniquely with the selected demographic, health, and environmental parameters. 1. Introduction American agriculture has shifted from traditional small family farms to large agricultural industry over the past century to keep up with the increase in meat demand and objective of maximizing profit by minimizing the costs of producing food animals. These kinds of farming facilities are known as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) and also regarded as industrial farms or factory farms. In the industrial farms, the animals are raised in high stocking density, and antibiotics and pesticides are used to mitigate the spread of disease and pestilence exacerbated by these crowded living conditions [1]. CAFO encompass all aspects of breeding, feeding, raising, and processing animals or their products for human consumption [2]. Industrial farming practice is a product of the postindustrial revolution era and began to grow in the 1920s soon after the discovery of vitamins A and D; by adding the vitamins to feed, animals no longer required exercise and sunlight for growth [3]. This advancement in agricultural practice has increased efficiency in agricultural production. In the eighteenth century, it took nearly five acres of land to feed one person, whereas due to
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