Factory Farms Cost UK Taxpayers Over 1.2 Billion Pounds Per Year, Says New Report

A new report estimates that factory farming costs UK taxpayers over GBP £1.2 billion per year. The report, titled The Hidden Harms of Factory Farms, reveals that the high cost of factory farming undermines food security rather than aiding it. Factory farms are linked to extensive environmental pollution and related public health issues, with the report estimating the cost of water and air pollution from factory farms to be £518 million and the cost of increased respiratory deaths around £92 million.

The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation (CAWF) produced the report and recommends halting the expansion of new megafarm facilities in favor of smaller-scale farms growing more nutritious, environmentally-friendly foods. The report also calls for increased transparency around subsidies and restructuring farming subsidies to support more sustainable practices. The UK, like many other countries, is seeing a rise in factory farming, with 85 percent of all farmed animals raised on factory farms. Moving money away from animal agriculture towards plant-based foods could help countries meet their climate, environmental, and health commitments.