SYLVANIA—The Science Alliance for Valuing the Environment (SAVE) presents a free lecture on the topic of Controlled Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) tonight in the Franciscan Theatre and Conference Center at Lourdes College.

Ursuline Sister Christine Pratt, rural life director for the Diocese of Toledo, will address the social, economic and environmental issues surrounding CAFOs and discuss the moral dimensions of what we eat and how we produce food in her lecture, “CAFOs: Not Your Grandparents’ Farm Anymore.”

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, CAFOs — also known as “factory farms,” — are agricultural facilities that house and feed a large number of animals in a confined area for 45 days or more during any 12-month period.

The Department of Health and Human Services warns of health and safety concerns surrounding CAFOs including adverse health effects such as chronic and acute respiratory illnesses, injuries and infections, as well as environmental concerns such as water and land pollution, odor and increased insect infestations.  
 
The lecture begins at 7:30 p.m. and is open to the public. For more information about the lecture and SAVE, contact Sylvania Franciscan Sister Rosine Sobczak at 419-824-3691.