Fewer Farms, Bigger Farms: Findings from the Ag Census

The briefs, titled “Farmland Consolidation” and “Consolidation and Concentration in Animal Agriculture,” were published in August, 2026. They were developed as a resource for advocates, policymakers, and community organizations working to understand these trends and address their multi-faceted impacts. 

According to the 2022 Census results, the number of farms in the U.S. decreased by 7% from the last Census, which was conducted in 2017. This translates to about 142,000 farms lost within a five-year period and a continued decline in farm numbers that has been recorded in nearly every Census for the past 50 years. Total acres in farmland decreased by 2%, which reflects an estimated decrease of 20,000,000 acres of farmland. In contrast to these declining trends, the average farm size has grown by 5% to 463 acres. This continued shift toward fewer and larger operations reflects ongoing farmland consolidation, a pattern that is influenced by policy and market structures such as payment programs according to acreage scale, concentration of processors, and more.  

Similar trends were identified in the brief addressing consolidation and geographic concentration in animal agriculture. Although the number of farms producing livestock and poultry has decreased, the number of animals produced per farm has grown. The researchers’ analysis shows an 8% decline in the cattle inventories between 2002 and 2022 (a loss of over 7 million cattle) and a 28% decrease in cattle operations. In contrast, hog and broiler chicken inventories both increased between 2002 and 2022. Hog inventories increased by 22% (over 13 million additional hogs), while broiler chicken inventories grew by 25% (over 300 million additional chickens). Hog production is geographically concentrated in the Midwest, in and around Iowa, and in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Broiler chicken production was mainly concentrated in the South and Mid-Atlantic. The continued expansion of these concentrated industrial animal operations presents issues including waste management, pollution from operation sites into neighboring communities, animal overcrowding, and disease transmission among animals and humans, among others. 

To mitigate the impacts of these trends, the researchers have provided examples of both proposed and enacted policies in each brief. The policies draw from the following pillars from the CLF Public Health Agenda for Food Systems Change: (1) promote transitions to food production methods that support the health of people and the planet; (2) protect food system workers and communities most affected by food production practices; and (3) expand transparency around food system practices and their impacts. 

“The Census of Agriculture is one of the most important tools we have for understanding how agriculture in the United States is changing over time,” says Jamie Harding, lead author of the report and GIS specialist at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. “These briefs translate census data into actionable insights, helping readers understand how farmland consolidation and the concentration of animal agriculture are reshaping who owns farmland, how food is produced, and the health of our communities and environment. By examining the impacts of these trends and exploring potential policy solutions, the briefs can help inform conversations about the future of agriculture and the choices needed to build a more resilient and equitable food system."