Factory Farms Are Collapsing in the Face of Climate Chaos, Humane Foundation Warns

May 16, 2025 at 17:40 PM EDT

“Factory farming is not only driving climate chaos — it’s increasingly a victim of it,” said A. Roghani, Executive Director of the Humane Foundation. “And it’s the animals who suffer most, locked in systems designed for efficiency, not survival.”

LONDON, UK - In a new statement released today, the Humane Foundation has issued a stark warning: the factory farming system — already responsible for large-scale animal suffering and environmental degradation — is becoming a growing casualty of the climate crisis it helps drive.

As extreme weather events escalate in frequency and severity, industrial animal agriculture is showing alarming signs of structural weakness. Recent floods, prolonged heatwaves, and power outages have exposed the inherent fragility of a food system built on confinement, mechanization, and overdependence on energy-intensive operations. The Humane Foundation’s latest report, titled “Factory Farms in a Heating World”, presents a troubling picture of how climate change is turning factory farms into disaster zones — with animals paying the ultimate price.

“We are witnessing an unfolding tragedy,” said A. Roghani, Executive Director of the Humane Foundation. “Factory farms are not just contributing to climate change — they are also deeply unprepared for it. When systems fail, animals die. And they die in enormous numbers, behind closed doors, in conditions too horrific for the public to imagine.”

Animals Trapped in Failing Systems

The report highlights a string of recent climate-related disasters across Europe, North America, and beyond. During last summer’s heatwaves in the UK and EU, tens of thousands of chickens died of heat exhaustion when ventilation systems failed in overcrowded poultry sheds. Similar events in the US and Brazil led to the mass deaths of pigs, trapped without access to cooling or water when power grids were overwhelmed by surging demand.

Flooding is an equally urgent threat. In low-lying regions of the Netherlands and southern England, storms and overflowing rivers have drowned thousands of animals confined in factory-style barns, where evacuation is logistically impossible. These events are rarely reported in the media — and even less frequently investigated.

“These animals aren’t just forgotten — they’re deliberately hidden,” said Roghani. “Because if the public saw what really happens when factory farms are hit by climate events, the legitimacy of the system would collapse.”

A System on the Brink

Factory farming is built on rigid infrastructure: sealed sheds, industrial ventilation, artificial lighting, feed supply lines, and automated waste systems. While efficient under controlled conditions, these environments are extremely vulnerable to sudden external shocks. Unlike pasture-based or diversified farms, factory farms lack resilience — and when they fail, they fail catastrophically.

From a public health standpoint, this breakdown poses additional risks. Rotting carcasses from mass animal deaths can contaminate water supplies, spread zoonotic disease, and create severe pollution problems for surrounding communities. In some cases, the economic losses from livestock deaths are passed on to taxpayers through insurance and subsidy programs.

“We’re not just talking about animal welfare — we’re talking about climate adaptation, food security, and public accountability,” Roghani emphasized.

Rethinking Our Food Future

The Humane Foundation is calling for urgent action from governments, agricultural regulators, and consumers. Specifically, the organization is advocating for:

A moratorium on new factory farm construction, especially in climate-vulnerable zones.
Redirection of subsidies toward climate-resilient, plant-based, and regenerative farming systems.
Mandatory transparency and independent oversight when animals are killed in climate-related incidents.
Legal recognition of animal sentience, with protocols in place to prevent avoidable suffering during climate emergencies.

The Foundation argues that these reforms are not just ethical necessities, but practical responses to a looming systemic failure.

“We cannot afford to double down on a food system that tortures animals, damages the planet, and collapses in the face of climate reality,” said Roghani. “The question is not whether we should change — it’s whether we have the courage to do so before it’s too late.”

What Comes Next

As the international community prepares for the COP30 climate summit later this year, the Humane Foundation is urging world leaders to address animal agriculture not only as a key driver of emissions, but also as a major point of vulnerability in global food systems.

The organization plans to release a follow-up white paper and convene a multi-stakeholder roundtable to explore policy solutions, featuring experts in environmental science, animal welfare, food security, and climate resilience.

About the Humane Foundation

The Humane Foundation is a UK-based, self-funded nonprofit committed to ending the cruelty and ecological damage caused by industrial animal farming. Through public education, advocacy, and collaborative research, the foundation works to build a more compassionate, sustainable food future. Its flagship platform, www.Cruelty.Farm, helps expose the hidden realities of factory farming and mobilize support for systemic change.

Media Contact
Company Name: Humane Foundation
Contact Person: Ali Roghani
Email: Send Email
Address:27 Old Gloucester Street
City: London
State: England
Country: United Kingdom
Website: https://cruelty.farm/

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Factory Farms Are Collapsing in the Face of Climate Chaos, Humane Foundation Warns

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