Pork Supply Chain
FAT has mapped the U.S. pork processing supply chain — the geographic relationship between major hog slaughter plants and the commercial hog CAFO operations that supply them across seven states. The map draws on EPA ECHO NPDES permit data, NC DEQ animal operations records, and plant capacity estimates as of March 2026.
The pork sector differs structurally from beef: production is highly vertically integrated, with Smithfield Foods (WH Group), Tyson, JBS, and Seaboard controlling most hog supply through contract grower arrangements. Supply radii are tighter than beef — 75 miles vs. 50 miles — due to weight shrink and biosecurity constraints on live hog transport.
Pork Supply Map
13 major pork processing plants across Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Oklahoma — covering Smithfield, Tyson, JBS USA Pork, Seaboard Foods, Hormel, Iowa Premium, and Triumph Foods — with hog CAFO locations within 75-mile supply basins. Filter by company or toggle supply basin circles.
Pork Enforcement Map
EPA ECHO compliance data for swine CAFOs across major pork-producing states — violation patterns, enforcement gaps, and inspector-to-facility ratios. North Carolina shows 2,200 swine CAFOs monitored by 14 inspectors (157:1 ratio) with 568 complaints filed between 2019-2025. Interactive filtering by enforcement status with state-level profiles showing complaint volumes, regulatory capacity, and documented violations across the primary production corridor.
Pork Integrated Model Map
Combined supply chain, enforcement, and economic concentration analysis — four switchable data layers revealing how geographic concentration, foreign ownership patterns, and enforcement deficits intersect in the U.S. pork industry. The integrated view shows critical patterns invisible when viewing dimensions separately: states with highest CAFO density (Iowa, North Carolina) demonstrate both the strongest corporate control and the most severe enforcement gaps. Includes analysis of how contract farming structures obscure accountability chains where violations occur at contracted facilities but economic control rests with integrators.
Open Pork Integrated Model Map →
Data Sources and Methodology
- Plant capacity: Industry publications (Successful Farming, Meatingplace, company press releases) as of March 2026. Not an official USDA plant-capacity series.
- Hog CAFOs (IA, MN, MO, OK, IL, IN): EPA ECHO ICIS-NPDES active CWA permits, SIC 02 livestock category, filtered by facility name to swine operations.
- Hog CAFOs (NC): Eastern NC hog CAFO proxy clusters based on NC DEQ Duplin, Sampson, Bladen, and Wayne county animal operation permit concentrations.
- Enforcement data: EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) database, NC DEQ Division of Water Resources complaint summaries (2019-2025), state inspection records.
- Economic concentration: Market share estimates from industry sources, ownership records for foreign-controlled processors (WH Group/Smithfield, JBS S.A./JBS USA Pork).
- Supply radius: 75 miles — reflects tighter pork procurement basins vs. 50-mile beef standard (live hog transport sensitivity to shrink and stress).
- Geocoding: City-centroid approximations using US Census 2024 Gazetteer. Not rooftop geocoding.
- Ownership: Smithfield Foods is owned by WH Group (China). JBS USA Pork is owned by JBS S.A. (Brazil).
How This Map Is Different
Most maps of pork production show either where hogs are raised or where environmental violations occur. This map does something different.
It combines hog production geography with real enforcement data and presents it in a format designed for consumers, not just regulators or researchers.
Regulatory Data — Not Marketing Claims
This map draws on enforcement records from federal and state agencies, including inspections, violations, and penalties at hog operations and related facilities.
Facility-Level Visibility
View individual hog operations and associated facilities, rather than relying on broad industry summaries or generalized regional data.
Integrated, Not Siloed
Environmental and regulatory data is placed directly within the pork supply chain, connecting production practices to downstream food products.
Concentrated Production Systems
Pork production is often highly concentrated in specific regions. This map allows users to see how enforcement patterns align with those production clusters.
Consumer-Facing Design
Existing regulatory systems are complex and not built for everyday users. This map translates that data into a format that can be understood at the grocery level.
Part of a Larger System
This map connects to FAT’s broader framework for evaluating meat labels—highlighting what is disclosed and what is not across pork products.
Why It Matters
Pork labels rarely disclose where hogs were raised or how production systems were managed. This map adds a layer of transparency that is currently missing from the retail experience.
The goal is not to tell consumers what to buy. It is to ensure they can see the full picture before they decide.