Sustainable & Humane Food Systems
Our Sustainable and Humane Food Systems initiative — a collaboration between the Environmental and Natural Resources Law & Policy Program and the Climate and Energy Policy Program — seeks to address the environmental and public health impacts associated with industrial animal agriculture through a combination of technical and policy research, cross-campus partnerships, and community engagement.
New Paper Analyzes Water Permitting for Confined Animal Facilities in California
California is home to a significant proportion of the confined animal facilities (CAFs) in the United States, including more large commercial dairies than any other state. These facilities produce millions of pounds of manure each year. If not properly managed, this waste can pollute surface water, contaminate groundwater, and precipitate algal blooms, resulting in potentially severe human health consequences and long-term environmental damage. The Environmental and Natural Resources Law & Policy Program, in collaboration with the Climate and Energy Policy Program, released a white paper in February 2026 detailing California’s failure to adequately monitor and oversee CAFs under the Porter Cologne Water Quality Control Act (Porter-Cologne Act), California’s equivalent to the Clean Water Act.
In the News
Industrial Animal Agriculture Dashboard
The Industrial Animal Agricultural Dashboard shows several interactive maps of Confined Animal Facilities (CAFs) across California, as well as related maps of animal housing structures, crop types, particulate matter (PM) pollution, well nitrate concentrations, and poverty rates.
The dashboard also includes time series analysis of California cattle population over time and a manure accounting for Central Valley dairy facilities in 2024.
Crying Over Spilt Milk: Controlling H5N1 in California Dairies
In Spring 2025, Stanford Law School led an interdisciplinary policy lab in response to the rise in zoonotic disease threats, animal welfare concerns, and California Central Valley community member alarm around Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Type A (H5N1). This report explains the scientific and regulatory landscape for zoonotic disease management and how these systems were — and were not — effective at managing H5N1 in California dairies. The paper also details a series of recommendations for community organizers, farmers, and policy makers.
Read the Report : Crying Over Spilt Milk: Controlling H5N1 in California Dairies