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Paper short abstract:

Given the locations of industrial animal farms in LMICs, we could evaluate their effects on water quality, public health, and more. However, few public databases exist. I'll show progress towards a global map of industrial animal farms, created by applying computer vision tools to satellite images.

Paper long abstract:

Industrial animal farms have led to many negative outcomes in the US and Europe, from toxic algal blooms to health problems among local residents. Some of these problems have disproportionately affected low-income and minority communities. The same is likely true in the many LMICs in which industrial animal production is proliferating, but our current understanding of the situation is fragmented and incomplete.

If the locations of industrial animal farms were known, it would be possible to document and track their local impacts. For example, satellite monitoring could show when manure lagoons had been breached in extreme precipitation events, and studies of economic outcomes before and after the arrival of industrial farms would be enabled. Local impacts could then be aggregated to demonstrate the effects of industrial animal production on a global scale.

Most governments either do not record farm locations or do not make the data available to researchers. However, I have recently established that it is possible to detect "hotspots" of industrial pig and poultry production using computer vision techniques and publicly-available satellite data. I now hope to work towards an accurate, global map of industrial animal farms. I will describe progress towards this goal, solicit feedback from attendees about how to make this work as useful as possible, and explore potential collaborations with those working "on the front lines".