International Finance Corporation’s Dubious Defense of Factory Farming

In March 2025, a coalition of public interest organizations—including Compassion in World Farming, Bank Information Center, Friends of the Earth US, Sinergia Animal, and International Accountability Project—sent a letter to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) expressing serious concern over misleading claims on its newly published webpage, “Striving for Sustainability: IFC’s Role in the Livestock Sector.”

The webpage frames well-documented, evidence-based criticisms of industrial livestock as “myths,” instead claiming that factory farming is:
– Humane
– Good for communities
– Causes minimal harm to the environment
– A key component of food security 

IFC’s response, dated March 24, acknowledged our engagement but failed to address these specific points. It repeated broad claims about “efficiency” and “sustainability” in industrial livestock, without confronting the mounting scientific evidence– even the World Bank’s own research– supporting the very concerns it labels as “inaccurate.”

In reply, we reiterated our position: these so-called “myths” are anything but. They are grounded in peer-reviewed science, real-world outcomes, and published findings from the World Bank itself. Reports like Recipe for a Livable Planet and Detox Development document how industrial livestock production drives deforestation, exacerbates nitrogen pollution, deepens rural poverty, and fails to deliver on climate or food security goals.

We emphasized that improving efficiency in factory farming, while often touted by IFC, cannot offset the harms of increased production or rising global demand. As Recipe for a Livable Planet makes clear, demand-side measures to reduce meat consumption are far more effective in reducing emissions than the marginal gains of “efficient” industrial systems.

We also challenged IFC’s assertion that these investments support poverty reduction. In fact, industrial models often displace smallholder farmers, erode local food sovereignty, and consolidate power in the hands of corporate actors. Labeling critiques of these systems as “myths” not only misleads the public, it sidelines the very communities multilateral development finance is supposed to serve.

We remain committed to constructive engagement with IFC and have called for a meeting to address these matters directly. Multilateral development banks must stop shielding harmful industrial systems with false narratives and start aligning with the growing global consensus on the need for just, ecological food systems.