UK sees 26% rise in intensive factory farming since 2011
Almost 800 industrial-scale livestock farms now exist in the UK, with one in all but 12 counties, according to an investigation by the Guardian and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. The increase in such farms, viewed by critics as cruel, forms part of the 26% rise in intensive factory farming witnessed in the UK since 2011. According to Environment Agency classifications, farms must have warehouses containing 40,000 birds, 2,000 pigs or 750 breeding sows to be categorised as intensive. The expansion in mega-farms has often gone unnoticed as farmers have expanded existing operations rather than opening new sites.
A major Bureau investigation has revealed the changing face of British farming. The number of intensive farms in the UK has risen by a quarter since 2011, with many so big they fit the definition of a US mega-farm.

Below you can find all the data we obtained, analysed per country, county and type of livestock. It contains information on the five companies controlling nearly all poultry meat production in the UK. You will also find information on which of these companies operate mega-farms, and the supermarkets they supply.

Read the full investigation into the rise of intensive farms here

The Environment Agency - and its regional counterparts in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales - classify livestock farms as "intensive" if they have capacity for housing at least 40,000 poultry birds or 2,000 pigs grown for meat or 750 breeding pigs (sows).

These "intensive" farms each require a permit to operate that is issued by the relevant environment agency. Very large free range farms also need this licence but there are far fewer of them. This contains details of the farm operator, the number of livestock permitted to be housed and a detailed set of conditions that must be met for the farm to operate.

Existing farms can be issued with a new permit if changes to the original conditions are proposed- such as if a farm wants to increase the number of livestock it houses - or if it changes owners.