Economic and Environmental Indicators for Evaluating the National Pilot Project on Livestock and the Environment, Livestock Series Report 1, The

The livestock and dairy industries are consolidating and concentrating within confined geographical areas. Accompanying these structural adjustments that are under way in the dairy and livestock industries is the potential for increased point and nonpoint source pollution problems from animal waste disposal. An assessment of optimal policies and best management practices to control pollution from CAFOs requires an integrated evaluation of economic and environmental consequences from alternative policies and practices. To perform this integrated assessment, a set of important economic and environmental indicators that these policies will affect have to be identified. This paper reviews indicators used in other site-specific studies and recommends a feasible set of economic and environmental indicators for the national pilot project.