Imlay: SCAHIP Pilot - Industrial Animal Agriculture and Rural Community Well-Being: Industrial Poultry and Hog Farming in Rural Mississippi

This study builds on previous work that has documented the adverse effects of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) on individual and community well-being. CAFOs have been linked to a variety of adverse health outcomes for both confinement workers and residents of adjacent communities. Additionally, CAFOs are often located in communities with high rates of poverty and racial minorities. This study focuses on industrial swine and poultry production in Mississippi, where rural poverty rates are among the highest in the country and stark racial disparities persist, yet industrial animal production, especially poultry, remains understudied within the CAFO and public health literature. By employing time-series approaches, this project examines the relationship between CAFO concentration, rural poverty, and adverse health outcomes over time.