News
Organic Dairies Say Federal Pricing System Costs Them Millions
A series of lawsuits argues an obsolete profit-sharing system is subsidizing industrial dairy farms.
Factory Farms•5 min read
News
News
With Fertilizer Pollution on the Rise, Iowa Will Invest $100 Million in Water Treatment
After years of worsening water quality, the move marks Gov. Kim Reynolds’ first official action to tackle harmful agricultural nutrients in state waterways. Critics say it’s “too little too late.”
Climate•4 min read
News
Almost 20 Percent of Americans Are Drinking Nitrate Contaminated Water
A new analysis links manure and the overapplication of fertilizer from agriculture to contaminated water, and suggests the EPA’s allowed limits are too high to prevent nitrate-related cancer, thyroid disease…
Health•4 min read
News
U.S. Moves Closer to Blocking Illegal Seafood Imports
The FISH Act would allow the government to blacklist and seize ships involved in illegal fishing or forced labor.
Fisheries & Aquaculture•6 min read
News
Watchdog Group Alleges Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins Violated Ethics Rules
The Campaign Legal Center said in a report released Thursday that Brooke Rollins remained close with former employers, which could violate the ethics agreement she signed. The USDA called the…
Policy•6 min read
News
Most Agree Fungi-Based Food Is A Greener, Meat-Like Protein
Survey says majority agree fungi-based foods are sustainable meat alternatives with a protein profile that’s similar to meat, despite knowledge gaps around the reasons why.
Research•5 min read
News
The Columbia River Is Polluted. Are Fish Farms Making It Worse?
Environmental groups are suing one of the largest seafood companies in the country over alleged aquaculture pollution to the Columbia River.
Fisheries & Aquaculture•7 min read
News
Is Trump’s New ‘Office of Seafood’ a Shell Game?
The new USDA division wants to grow the seafood industry, but critics worry dismantling regulations will achieve the opposite.
Policy•5 min read
News
Great White Sharks Are Overheating
“The most acute, urgent crisis these animals face is from overfishing, and particularly now from bycatch.”
Research•4 min read
News
98% Greenwashing: Big Meat Follows in Big Oil’s Footsteps
Analysis of 33 top global meat and dairy companies finds nearly all use misleading messaging and promote baseless ‘sustainable’ initiatives.
Climate•6 min read
News
Less Salmon, More Oysters: Aquaculture Could Reduce its Climate Impact by Embracing Bivalves and Seaweed
Most farmed seafood comes from fin fish, but a new study urges shifting production toward bivalves and seaweed.
Fisheries & Aquaculture•5 min read
News
Old-Growth European Forests Are More Crucial Than Thought for Carbon Storage
A Swedish study reveals carbon losses up to 8 times greater than previous estimates, suggesting that protecting primary forests is more critical for climate mitigation.
Climate•4 min read
News
Massive Manure-to-Energy Project Raises Environmental Justice Concerns in Washington State
Residents say a large biodigester project risks worsening pollution and inequities in Yakima Valley, a predominantly Latino community.
Climate•7 min read
News
Farmers Still Fight to Rebuild Topsoil After Hurricane Helene in 2024
Helene caused $4.9 billion in damage to North Carolina’s agriculture sector alone, and washed away vital soil in southern Appalachia, with landslides and floods from 30 inches of rain.
Climate•17 min read
News
A New Immigration Strategy Shakes Agro-Industrial Rural Towns
A Supreme Court decision is pushing immigration enforcement beyond jobsites into rural towns. A US citizen says an ICE agent told him: ‘We have the right to assume that you’re…
Policy•14 min read
News
Cancer Rates Are Higher Near Factory Farms, Study Finds
In California, Texas and Iowa, cancer rates are 4-8% higher in areas with more industrial animal agriculture.
Health•5 min read
News
Critics Call the Poultry Farming System Rigged. Craig Watts Is Fighting to Overturn It.
As Watts’ legal battle drags on, the Trump administration moves to delay a Biden-era rule designed to reform how farmers get paid.
Food•13 min read
News
Big Meat’s Ties to USDA Top Official Revealed
Mindy Brashears, USDA’s food safety lead, has deep financial and advisory affiliations to the industry she regulates, a new ProPublica database shows.
Meat Lobby•5 min read
News
Manure Digesters Help Cut Methane — But They Also Leak
On average, methane emissions fell by about 25%. But methane leaks from manure digesters can be so potent that they need to be constantly monitored, researchers say.
Research•6 min read
News
More Crops Grown for Fuel and Livestock Feed Than for People, New Study Finds
Cutting back on beef and biofuels could help improve food security and mitigate climate emissions.
Food•4 min read
News
Iowa Senate Approves Bill Making it Harder to Sue Factory Farms For Polluting
If passed by the governor, the bill would protect farms from lawsuits surrounding their greenhouse gas emissions.
Factory Farms•4 min read
News
Plan for Largest Dairy in Minnesota History Raises Water and Pollution Concerns
Riverview’s mega-dairy expansion in Morris would store 250 million gallons of liquid manure and use water volumes equal to 75% of the local supply.
Climate•4 min read
News
Silvopasture’s Climate Promise in the U.S. May Be Overhyped, Researchers Say
The practice of integrating pasture with trees has limited evidence of success for climate mitigation in the eastern United States, though there are adaptation benefits, like shade.
Climate•6 min read
News
Trump Is Suing to Overturn Prop 12 and Other Animal Welfare Laws
The administration says animal welfare laws in California are raising egg prices nationwide.
Policy•6 min read
News
Iowa’s High Cancer Rate Linked to Nitrate, Pesticides, PFAS and Radon, New Report Finds
The new analysis combines science on environmental risk factors with the lived experiences of Iowans battling cancer.
Health•5 min read
News
Climate Change Could Drastically Cut Grazing Land by End of Century
The conditions some farm animals thrive under are disappearing, a new modeling study finds.
Climate•5 min read
News
Bird Flu Detected in Iowa Backyard Chicken Flocks as Migration Raises Risk
Backyard chickens are also vulnerable to avian flu, and experts warn that spring migration can accelerate infections across these bird populations.
Health•5 min read
News
Beagles Are Still Bred on Farms for Testing and Research, an Open Rescue Reveals
Authorities say several dozen animal rights activists broke into a facility in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin on March 15.
Factory Farms•5 min read
News
New Study Shows Strong Link Between Industrialized Agriculture and Declining Bird Populations
Pesticides, fertilizers and habitat destruction are the likely culprits.
Climate•5 min read
News
TB-Infected Cow in Michigan Discovered Beyond High-Risk Zone
A new bovine tuberculosis case shows that the disease, long thought largely eradicated, persists despite years of statewide efforts.
Health•5 min read
News
Ten Million Tons of Manure In California Are Unaccounted for, New Report Shows
Stanford researchers found serious loopholes in factory farm regulation — and it’s not just in California.
Climate•11 min read
News
Livestock Pharmaceutical Sales Still Booming Despite Public Health Concerns
Elanco Animal Health reported $1.14 billion in quarterly revenue, and its farm animal sector increased 17% year-over-year.
Health•4 min read
News
Minnesota Asks the Public Whether Groundwater Rule Is Enough to Curb Farm Fertilizer Pollution, Following Lawsuit
Officials seek public input as critics say current rule has failed to reduce nitrate pollution.
Climate•7 min read
News
New Colorado Bill Aims to Change How We ‘Depopulate’ Chickens
As bird flu cases surge, Colorado lawmakers target the practice of killing poultry birds by heatstroke.
Factory Farms•6 min read
News
Key Iowa Swing Districts in U.S. House Could Hinge on Water Quality and Cancer Concerns
In a new poll, 82% of Iowa voters want their elected official to protect clean water and cut pollution from industrial agriculture.
Elections•5 min read
News
Grasslands and Wetlands Are Being Gobbled Up By Agriculture, Mostly Livestock
A new study takes a first-of-its kind look at how farming converts non-forested areas and major carbon sinks into cropland and pasture.
Research•4 min read
News
Republicans’ New Farm Bill Takes Aim at Animal Welfare and Pesticide Regulations
But the bill faces steep odds of passage in a sharply-divided Congress
Policy•8 min read
News
Manure-to-Energy Digesters Were Sold as a Climate Fix. Now the USDA Is Hitting Pause.
A 90-day pause due to “loan delinquency” may signal that the viability of anaerobic digesters is being scrutinized at the federal level.
Climate•9 min read
News
Bird Flu Cases Are Surging in 2026. What Does It Mean?
Millions of birds have been exposed to the avian flu virus since the beginning of January alone.
Health•9 min read
News
If We Let Coral Reef Fish Populations Bounce Back From Overfishing, They Could Feed 1.4 Million More People
A new study finds that restoring coral reef fisheries could feed multitudes, especially where food is most needed.
Fisheries & Aquaculture•5 min read
News
Tree Bark Microbes Capture Greenhouse Gases, New Study Finds
The process plays out separately from photosynthesis, and experts say it could improve reforestation strategies.
Research•5 min read
News
Sales of Antibiotics for Farm Animals Jumped 16%, FDA Data Shows
The sharp one-year increase is raising concerns among public health experts.
Health•4 min read
News
Cows Can Use Tools. Are We Underestimating How Smart They Are?
Meet Veronika, a Swiss Brown cow who uses a broom to scratch her back.
Animal Behavior•5 min read
News
People Can Give Cows Tuberculosis, But We Rarely Look For It
Cattle with drug-resistant tuberculosis lead researchers to call for better monitoring of cross-species transmission of TB.
Health•5 min read
News
A Major Agreement to Protect the Amazon Is Falling Apart After 20 Years
Amid changing political headwinds, the moratorium on soy-driven deforestation is in danger. What now?
Climate•6 min read
News
RFK Jr.’s New Dietary Guidelines Tout Meat, but They Could Actually Open the Door for More Plants in School Lunches
Here’s what the new dietary guidelines actually mean for school meals.
Diet•8 min read
News
L.A.’s Meatpacking Industry Is a Lot Like the Rest of the Country. Experts Say Here’s How to Make it Safer.
Better work training and pay structure could improve labor conditions.
Food•4 min read
News
RFK Jr.’s New Dietary Guidelines Are Out, and They’re Full of Red Meat
New guidelines say they want to “end the war on protein” and tout full-fat dairy.
Diet•4 min read
News
GLP-1 Users Lose Weight, and Their Taste for Meat
People taking blockbuster drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy report eating less meat, dairy and processed foods. These shifts could reshape the food system.
Research•3 min read
News
Veganuary Hopes You’ll Resolve to Ditch Meat, at Least for One Month
The month-long challenge gives millions a chance to try out veganism.
Diet•4 min read
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Sentient investigates and explains factory farms and their effect on climate, the environment, animals, health, politics and rural communities.
