CAFO

American  

abbreviation

1. concentrated animal feeding operation: an animal agricultural enterprise where hundreds of dairy cows, or thousands of chickens, pigs, or cattle are raised and fed in a confined environment at least 45 days per year, rather than being dispersed and feeding in fields or other open areas.

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Etymology

Origin of CAFO

First recorded in 1990–95; by shortening

Example Sentences

Then the farm across the road changed hands and became a concentrated animal feeding operation, or CAFO, home to thousands of poultry and cattle, churning out a steady supply of manure and animal waste.

From Salon • Nov. 5, 2022

If you’ve driven by a CAFO, your nose tells you the air quality around it is abominable.

From Washington Times • Apr. 30, 2019

In the seven years its current regulations have been in effect, for instance, the department has not successfully denied a single application for a new CAFO, Ferraro said.

From Washington Times • Jan. 29, 2019

We're turning our beautiful planet into one giant CAFO, and the livestock is us. 

From Time • Aug. 11, 2013