Manure Management for Water Quality: Costs to Animal Feeding Operations of Applying Manure Nutrients to Land

by Marc Ribaudo, Noel Gollehon, Marcel Aillery, Jonathan Kaplan, Robert Johansson, Jean Agapoff, Lee Christensen, Vince Breneman, and Mark Peters

Nutrients from livestock and poultry manure are key sources of water pollution. Ever-growing numbers of animals per farm and per acre have increased the risk of water pollution. New Clean Water Act regulations compel the largest confined animal producers to meet nutrient application standards when applying manure to the land. The additional costs for managing manure have implications for feed grain producers and consumers as well. This report's farm-level analysis examines onfarm technical choice and producer costs across major U.S. production areas. A regional analysis focuses on off-farm competition for land to spread surplus manure, using the Chesapeake Bay region as a case study. Finally, a sectorwide analysis addresses potential long-term structural adjustments at the national level and ultimate costs to consumers and producers.

Keywords: Agricultural economics, manure management, livestock waste, nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus, water quality, CAFO, AFO, Chesapeake Bay, manure hauling, land application, Clean Water Act

In this publication...

• Entire Report
• Report summary
• Abstract, Acknowledgments, Contents, Executive Summary
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Background
• Chapter 3: Farm Level Analysis
• Chapter 4: Regional Analysis
• Chapter 5: National Analysis
• Chapter 6: Summary and Implications for Policy and Research
• References