Northern Ireland farming: the impact of factory farms

An aerial photo of a factory farm where you see the roofs of the sheds.

Factory farming is fuelling a pollution crisis in Northern Ireland.

Much of the meat goes to England. A significant amount of the profits go to the US.

Our new investigation reveals just how widespread the farming system has become:

  • Millions of factory farmed pigs and chickens in Northern Ireland produce thousands of tonnes of waste daily.
  • Waste is contaminating surrounding land and waterways. The country cannot sustainably manage the sheer volume of waste being produced.
  • Agriculture is Northern Ireland’s largest contributor to climate change. 

We’re calling on our government to impose a moratorium (temporary ban) on factory farms and better protect waterways, nature, and public health.

Stop factory farms polluting Northern Ireland

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Mapped: Pig and Poultry Farming in Northern Ireland

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What changed the landscape in Northern Ireland?

The impact of factory farming has visibly changed the landscape in Northern Ireland. Many more intensive factory farms are still being proposed. These plans are part of industry-led strategies called 'Going for Growth' and 'Green Growth'.

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK and Ireland that doesn’t have an independent regulator. Our regulator sits inside government.

We want a ban of all new intensive units on new and on existing farms. 

  • Use the timeline across the bottom of the map to watch how Northern Ireland becomes swamped in pig and poultry farms. 
  • You can watch the pig and poultry farms appearing as the timeline plays.

This shows the impact of the Going for Growth industry-led strategy. 2013 was the year that the strategy started to be implemented. 

Chickens in blue crates in a lorry

Factory farms are big polluters

High dependence on farm animals has serious consequences. Factory farming is a major cause of climate change. Nearly a third of Northern Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture. 

Factory farming pollutes air, water, and land too. Some 90% of protected sites are damaged by ammonia pollution. While the rest of the UK’s farm pollution is declining, Northern Ireland’s is increasing. 

There are growing concerns about antibiotic pollution (Antimicrobial resistance) and the pollution of our rivers and lakes. 

Excess Nitrogen and Phosphorus enter our waters from agricultural run-off, wastewater discharges and other human activities. This causes blue-green algae to appear in the summer months. The algae blooms in Lough Neagh, the largest freshwater lake in these islands, have been seen from space.   

Factory Farms are not the only polluter. Northern Ireland Water is the single biggest polluter of our waterways.

Northern Ireland’s agricultural strategy encourages factory farms.

How outnumbered are you to the farmed animals in your county?

This map will show you: 

  • The amount of farmed chickens and pigs in the county
  • How many chickens and pigs per person
  • How much waste the farmed animals produce

In addition, the report identifies in detail where the waste is exported to.

Do you live near a pig or poultry farm in Northern Ireland?

If you can’t smell or hear the animals, you may be wondering where all the factory farms are in Northern Ireland. These new maps will give you a bird’s eye view of where they're built. There are probably more than you think.

Use this map to see the pig and poultry units in your area. This includes factory farms in County Monaghan and County Cavan which are along the border.

From factories to our shopping baskets

The largest meat companies in the world are supplying the supermarkets we shop in every week with chickens from farms in Northern Ireland. The worlds biggest meat company, JBS (in Brazil), owns US based Pilgrims Pride, which in turn owns a host of subsidiaries including chicken producer Moy Park.

Lough Neagh Aerial

Suffocating our largest lake

Lough Neagh, the largest freshwater lake in the UK and Ireland, has been overrun by enormous swathes of toxic algal blooms, mostly caused by farming run-off. They’ve made the water a major health hazard and are destroying this vital wildlife haven. Find out more about Lough Neagh.

Lough Neagh Aerial
The snouts of two pigs can be seen through the bars

Our report

This report illustrates the spread of pig and poultry production over the past 13 years by showing farm placement, those that hold intensive permits, their proximity to Lough Neagh and where the waste is going. Please note some farms that are operational, included in this report, don't have their planning permission granted. 

Read report
The snouts of two pigs can be seen through the bars
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Factory Farming is a global issue

We work with communities in Northern Ireland who are fighting against factory farms. Many of the problems we have in Northern Ireland are replicated across Europe. Stop Factory Farming Europe provides information on the work we do and the communities we support.

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An aerial photo of a factory farm where you see the roofs of the sheds.

Join us in demanding action

Policy choices such as Going for Growth and the Green Growth Strategy have enabled rapid agricultural expansion without sufficient safeguards for water, nature or public health.

We are now at a point where further expansion cannot be safely sustained.

We are calling on you to:

  • Introduce an immediate moratorium (temporary ban) on all new intensive farming units and expansions.
  • Use enforcement powers to issue stop notices on developments operating without planning permission
  • Give us an independent Environmental Protection Agency
  • Create a food system that supports healthy people and a healthy planet with a just transition for farmers.

Over 55,000 people have already supported Friends of the Earth’s call for a moratorium on factory farming.

Email your ministers