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On February 26, 1906, author Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" first hit bookstores, becoming an instant bestseller that even now remains required reading at many high schools. Explore some illuminating facts about this lurid critique of the meatpacking industry, which exposed workplace conditions so filthy and exploitive that President Theodore Roosevelt felt compelled to act.

1. "The Jungle" is a work of fiction.
Sinclair is arguably the best known of the so-called muckrakers, the forerunners of today's investigative journalists who in the early 1900s exposed widespread corporate and political malfeasance. Unlike most other muckrakers, such as Ida Tarbell and Lincoln Steffens, Sinclair mainly wrote fiction. Yet he reported his books much like a journalist. For "The Jungle," a 26-year-old Sinclair spent seven weeks in Chicago, touring stockyards and slaughterhouses and interviewing the laborers there, along with priests, bartenders, policemen, politicians and social workers. At one point, he also stumbled upon a laborer's wedding party, which served as the inspiration for his opening chapter.

2. "The Jungle" initially appeared in a socialist newspaper.
Sinclair embraced socialism wholeheartedly within months of being introduced to it, and, except for a brief interlude during World War I, he would remain a committed member of the Socialist Party of America for decades thereafter. Discovering socialism, Sinclair said, "was like the falling down of prison walls about my mind." In September 1904, he penned his first article for Appeal to Reason, the largest-circulation socialist newspaper in the United States. Having made a favorable impression, he then received $500 to research and write "The Jungle," which ran in installments from February to November 1905. Appeal to Reason never printed the ending, however, due to tepid reader response. Meanwhile, several publishers, including one that had given Sinclair a second $500 advance, turned it down. But Doubleday, Page & Co. rescued it from obscurity, publishing "The Jungle" in book form. (The book differs in many respects from the newspaper serial.) To this day, "The Jungle" has never been out of print.

3. It depicts one tragedy after another.
"The Jungle" tells the story of Jurgis Rudkus, a Lithuanian immigrant who arrives in Chicago's meatpacking district determined to live out the American dream. At first, his solution to everything is to work harder. Yet the system eventually beats him down. Among other calamities, he is laid off after being injured on the job, his wife is raped and then dies in childbirth, he is jailed, his house is repossessed and his young son drowns in the street. Only after becoming a socialist does Rudkus turn his life around.

4. Sinclair felt the public missed the point of his book.
By depicting the trials and tribulations of the Rudkus family, Sinclair hoped to bring attention to the plight of immigrant laborers, whose working conditions, he believed, amounted to "wage slavery." An acquaintance recalled him saying that he had come to Chicago to write the "Uncle Tom's Cabin" of the labor movement. Most readers, however, instead fixated on his descriptions of rotten meat, filled with toxic chemicals, dirt, sawdust and rat droppings, that went out for sale. In the book's most famous passage, Sinclair even wrote of laborers falling into vats and being turned into lard. "I aimed at the public's heart," he famously remarked, "and by accident I hit it in the stomach."

5. The book turned Sinclair into a celebrity.
As a teenager, Sinclair wrote jokes, short stories and puzzles for pulp magazines, as well as dime novels. Yet despite making decent money, he gave up this line of work to become a more serious author. At first, it appeared to be a terrible career move. From 1901 to 1904, Sinclair published four books that were all commercial failures. Luckily for him, "The Jungle" put a quick end to this period of anonymity. Within months, it had been translated into 17 languages and had attracted the attention of prominent figures around the world, such as Winston Churchill, who praised Sinclair for making the "great Beef Trust stink in the nostrils of the world." President Roosevelt also read it, after which he invited Sinclair to the White House. (The two men, it turned out, did not get along particularly well.) Although "The Jungle" represented the pinnacle of his career, Sinclair was no one-hit wonder. His 90 or so books include "Oil!," the basis for the Oscar-winning film "There Will Be Blood," and "Dragon's Teeth," which won a Pulitzer Prize.

6. "The Jungle" sparked the immediate passage of food-safety legislation.
Bills designed to regulate the food industry had been languishing in Congress for decades until "The Jungle" came out and thrust them into the national spotlight. After the book's publication, Roosevelt wasted no time in directing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate Sinclair's claims. It reported back that "The Jungle" was mostly lies and exaggerations. But because Roosevelt distrusted its close ties to the meatpacking industry, he secretly instructed Labor Commissioner Charles P. Neill and social worker James B. Reynolds to likewise take a look. Neill and Reynolds found that meat was being "shoveled from filthy wooden floors, piled on tables rarely washed, pushed from room to room in rotten box carts, in all of which processes it was in the way of gathering dirt, splinters, floor filth, and the expectorations of tuberculous and other diseased workers." They also observed laborers urinating near the meat and ancient meat being re-labeled as new. Sinclair's veracity having thus been confirmed, Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act in June 1906. In addition to prohibiting mislabeled and adulterated food products, these two laws paved the way for all future consumer protection legislation.

7. Sinclair used royalties from the book to start a utopian colony.
By the middle of 1906, Sinclair had earned about $30,000 (nearly $800,000 in today's money) from sales of "The Jungle." Rather than save or invest it, he decided to buy Helicon Hall, a former boy's school in Englewood, New Jersey, just across the Hudson River from Manhattan, and turn it into a utopian colony for artists, writers and social reformers. At its peak, the colony had several dozen members, who, by sharing the cooking, housekeeping, and childcare duties, hoped to maximize their time for intellectual pursuits. While there, Sinclair ran for Congress as a Socialist and worked on a book called "The Industrial Republic." His experiment in cooperative living ended in disaster, however, when Helicon Hall burned to the ground in a March 1907 fire. After that, Sinclair drifted from place to place for almost a decade until finally settling in California, where he would spend the majority of the rest of his life.

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7 Things You May Not Know About "The Jungle"

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On February 26, 1906, author Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" first hit bookstores, becoming an instant bestseller that even now remains required reading at many high schools. Explore some illuminating facts about this lurid critique of the meatpacking industry, which exposed workplace conditions so filthy and exploitive that President Theodore Roosevelt felt compelled to act.

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Farrowing Crates?

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Gestation Crates?

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A gestation crate, also known as a sow stall, is a metal enclosure, in which a female breeding pig (sow) may be kept during pregnancy and after parturition in order to keep her piglets safe in a small space setting A standard crate measures 6.6 ft x 2.0 ft (2 m x 60 cm).

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Data on number and growth of animals kept for poultry, beef and pork.

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Fundamental changes are shaping global pig production. Global pork production in 2011 dropped to 109 million metric tons of pig meat produced, according to the FAO food and agriculture organization of the United Nations. Pig meat production is down from the same agency's preliminary figure of 110.2 million metric tons; it is also considerably below the 109.9 million metric tons of pork the FAO reported in 2010.

Producing less pork
An annual downturn in the total world volume would be unusual- it has happened only once before, in the past 11 years-although the percentage rate of expansion achieved during each decade has been declining since 1960. As Chart 1 illustrates, the decrease in 2011 also narrowed the gap between pork and poultry meat for global tonage, while both still maintain a faster growth rate than beef.

Asia-Pacific remains the largest region of the world for yearly pork production. In round terms, it supplied 57 percent of all output in 2011. By comparison, its share was more than double that from Europe, which provided twice the amount, produced in North America and this in turn was approximately double the quantity from Latin America.

But the 2011 world production estimate for pig meat should also be seen in the context of the major national producers. Table 1 shows the amounts recorded as having been produced in the 20 countries with the biggest annual tonages. These countries account for 86 percent of the global pork total in 2011. Table 1data suggests that several countries even managed a modest growth in their own pork output. Nonetheless, the combined production of the Top 20 fell by 1.25 percent or around 1 million metric tons.

The figures in Table 1 underline how the overall result was affected by a drop in China's national pig production. Over three-quarters of the world's pig meat is supplied by China, the United States and the European Union (EU-27). Our lineup lists EU members individually. Together, the full 27-country community produced nearly 22.4 million metric tons of pork in 2011, up marginally from 22.01 million metric tons in 2010.

Judging by the three trends depicted in Chart 2, the EU seems to have made a recovery from the feed cost crisis of 2008 and 2009 while the US continued to enjoy the benefits of its increased pork exports. China, by contrast, experienced a reduction in 2011-attributed to the combined effects of low margins and increased disease problems.

Breeding sow inventory
However, the inventory of breeding sows in China is considered to have increased year-on-year by the end of 2011, as shown in Table 2 . For the 30 countries listed, total sow numbers grew from about 84.4 million in 2010 to almost 86 million in 2011.

The danger would be in viewing this as an expansion, when it was evidently because of the return of the Chinese national breeding herd to the size it had reached in 2009 before disease forced a cutback. Take China out of the equation and the other 29 countries sow numbers dropped from 36.9 million to 36.7 million.

A further reduction in sow inventory is predicted for the more mature markets worldwide as an adjustment to new circumstances, not least the continuing rise in herd productivity.

In the US, for example, an analysis by the FAPRI food policy unit at the University of Missouri pointed out that the US sow herd of 2011 was 20% smaller than 20 years ago-but output in 2012 is still expected to be 35 percent more than in 1992 because of the extra productivity obtained per sow.

In the European Union, a key consideration currently is the likely impact of new legislation demanding that pregnant sows be loose-housed instead of being confined in individual stalls. Most sources expect that older pig producers or farmers with small herds will decide to quit rather than undertake the expense of rebuilding. Forecasts start at 5 percent for the reduction in EU pork output that will occur because of the pending animal welfare law.

Chart 3 demonstrates how the number of sows in the EU-27 countries has fallen by 15 percent since 2004.

Pork trade agreements
Legislation and financial considerations provide only part of the explanation for the reshaping of the global pork industries that is now occurring. Another factor proving to be especially potent is the response of local investors to the position of their home country in new or impending international trade agreements.

Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization has given an example, by leading to predictions that local pork production will struggle to compete with imports. The opposite of a positive response to a trade accord can be found in members of the ASEAN pact of Southeast Asia which expect a forthcoming wider Asian accord to benefit the pork industries in Thailand and Myanmar.

According to several expert observers, the element that is most influencing change in the pig industry profile is the rapid disappearance of backyard swine production in a number of developing nations. Average unit size keeps increasing even in developed countries. In Canada, the average number of pigs per farm increased by 31.5 percent between 2006 and 2011, on new calculations from Statistics Canada. But the departure of the backyard pig farmers under cost pressures since 2000 has been particularly marked in China. Although commercial pig producers are growing, their expansion has struggled to compensate for the loss of inventory in small-scale herds.

Global pork production
What is coming next? FAO analysts are predicting global pork production will rebound in 2012 to a new record of 111.7 million metric tons, an increase from 2011 by around 2.6 percent. The main influence is reckoned to be a reduced incidence of disease affecting Asian pig industries, but the agency has also identified growing policy support by a number of governments.

Add to that the return of some countries to the role of pork exporter. Mexico is an example in this instance after its official recognition as being free of classical swine fever (hog cholera), although Taiwan will be another to watch as it wins the battle against foot-and-mouth disease.

To read more about how China is impacting the global pig market, see www.WATTAgNet.com/147225.html

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Global pig production: Trends shaping the pork industry

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Fundamental changes are shaping global pig production. Global pork production in 2011 dropped to 109 million metric tons of pig meat produced, according to the FAO food and agriculture organization of the United Nations.

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In The Netherlands sows get 34 piglets a year instead of 5 or 7. The result is that many piglets die just after birth because of weakness and undernourishment.

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Ook hebben zeugen te weinig tepels om hun biggen te voeden. Varkens krijgen ongeveer vijftien biggen per keer, gemiddeld wordt er meer dan één dood geboren. Maar zeugen hebben twaalf tot veertien tepels, daardoor krijgen sommige te weinig voeding.

Vervolgens sterven er nog enkele in de eerste weken. Volgens de varkenshouders kunnen biggen ook de tepels delen van de moederdieren. Verder proberen ze zo te fokken dat er meer dieren overleven. "Aan een dode big hebben we niks", zegt Eric Douma van LTO. Varkens in Nood pleit ook voor een maximumsterfte per boerderij.

Veel biggen lijden onnodig doordat boeren de dieren niet mogen euthanaseren, zegt Varkens in Nood. De varkenshouders zijn daarover in gesprek met het ministerie.

Plan van aanpak

In 2009 heeft toenmalig minister van Landbouw Verburg met de sector afgesproken dat de biggensterfte omlaag moet. Toen overleed 12,8 procent van de biggen in de eerste weken na de geboorte. Maar anno 2015 is dat percentage 13,8, stelt Varkens in Nood.

Varkens in Nood baseert zich op cijfers van AgroVision, een bedrijf dat de gegevens bijhoudt over ongeveer een derde van de varkensstapel. De cijfers zijn doorgerekend door het LEI, een onafhankelijk onderzoeksinstituut van de Wageningen Universiteit.

Verklaring

Het ministerie van Economische Zaken wil van de varkenshouders een verklaring voor de stijging en met hen bespreken hoe biggensterfte voorkomen kan worden. "Er moet in elk geval een einde komen aan het steeds verder vergroten van het aantal biggetjes dat per keer geboren wordt. Uitgangspunt is dat biggen bij hun eigen moeder kunnen drinken", zegt een woordvoerder.

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Steeds meer biggen sterven nog voor de slacht

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Ook hebben zeugen te weinig tepels om hun biggen te voeden. Varkens krijgen ongeveer vijftien biggen per keer, gemiddeld wordt er meer dan één dood geboren. Maar zeugen hebben twaalf tot veertien tepels, daardoor krijgen sommige te weinig voeding. Vervolgens sterven er nog enkele in de eerste weken.

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Report of FAO on pig farming in Kenya

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Promotion of pig farming in Uganda

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Eyeing Uganda piggery as your next African business venture or you're looking online for some pigs/piglets/pork/bacon or just advice to solve a mind boggling problem on your pig farm...?

Well, what ever your quest, I guess you've stumbled on this page because you have some interest in Uganda's Pig production value chain and as such I suggest you read on...

You could be just lines away from a possible solution to your current Uganda piggery puzzle...!

After noting the rapidly evolving pork culture in Uganda today, I felt we should take a closer look at how you can take advantage of the potentially huge market for pork and pork products in Africa to start and sustain your own lucrative pig farming/piggery business.

In this Pig Production Business Guide we share information about:

In this guide we also do share interesting Piggery Investment success stories in Uganda, so you can learn first hand from common people who have made it big in the Pig production business.

Be sure NOT to miss Racheal Mubiru's story, the one Ugandan Woman who Became a Millionairess from Piggery!

9 reasons Pig Farming could be good Business for you in Uganda

So why would you zero down on piggery and leave other domestic animals aside...?

Well, consider the points below so you can Know that you've made the right decision to start planning a Pig Farming Business:

The pig has a high feed conversion efficiency and as such produces more live weight gain from a given weight of feed than any other class of meat producing animal, the big comes second only to the Broiler Chicken

The Pig is able to utilize a wide variety of food stuffs like Grains, forages, and converts them into valuable nutritious meat. Feeding your pig on damaged grains and other leftovers reduces the stress of buying food stuffs and concequently you will spend less or no money on food, depending on the system you adopt.

Pigs are comparatively very fertile having a short generation interval; a female pig/sow reaches maturity as early as 8-9 months when she can start breeding. In one year your pig can produce/farrow twice, producing 8-12 piglets each time.

You will invest relatiely small on Buildings and farm equipment when starting your pig Production Business.

You will comparatively yeild more meat from a pig than other animals in terms of dressing percentage; you could easily get 65-80 percent meat from a pig and yet with other livestock your dressing yeild would not exceed 65 percent.

Pork itself is a very nutritious meat with high fat and low water content, and has got better energy value than that of other meats. The meat is rich in vitamins like thiamin, Niacin and reboflavin. Your pig production business can thus be used to fight malnutrion a well.

You can use the pig manure from your farm as a fertilizer for plants and fish ponds

Pigs store fat rapidly for which there is an increasing demand from poultry feeds, soap, paints and ther chemical industries.

Your pig farming business could provide quick returns since you can achive the Marketable weight of fattening pigs within a period of 6-8 months.

As I mentioned earlier, there is currently good demand for Pig Farming products from both the domestic and export markets.

You can make an order for pigs, pig products, farm supplies and advisory services here.

Identify the good Pig breeds for your commercial farm

Use this section to identify the breeds you will take to your commercial piggery unit.

Large white: You will identify this breed by its distinguished erect ears and slightly dished face. The body is long with excellent hams and fine hair. This breed is very prolifc with good mothering ability and can be used for pork and bacon production.

Landrace: You will identify this pig breed by its white colour, dropping ears and a straight snout. Sows produce and rear litters of piglets with very good daily gain and high lean meat content ideal for pork and bacon.

Duroc: You will identify this pig breed by its golden brown to black colour with a thick aubum coat and hard skin. Ears are relatively small and slighly dropping. Traditionally the Durocs hae been used as terminal sires, characterized by quick growth, deep body, broad ham, and shoulder. The Duroc is good at looking after its young and as such is a good breed for outdoor piggery. This pig breed is very suitable for anything from light pock to heavy pig production.

Hampshire: Developed in the USA and now one of the world's most important pig breeds. Extensively used as the sire of cross bred pigs for pork and bacon production. A very prolific pig breed. Produces lean meat in abundance and comparatively produces more meat than Large White and Landrace breeds.

Combrough: Commonly imported from South Africa, grow fast , have considerably less fat and the females are great mothers who don't lose their babies. They feed babies well and have enough milk. Give birth to an average of 14 piglets , 3 times a year. Can be resistant to disease when managed well.

And now you know which breed to ask for next time you go to buy pigglets for your farm!

You can make an order for pigs, pig products, farm supplies and advisory services here.

So which Pig Farming System should you deploy?

Depending on the amount of capital you can afford to invest on your pig farm; you will have to choose one of these three (3) Pig farming systems.

Free range/scavenging pig keeping : a less extensive system that would provide your household with an emergency fund to fall back to while supplying some little meat from time to time. This is the system you will deploy with little investment of time and money.

Semi Intensive pig keeping: you will use this system when you want to keep your pigs in a house and pay good attention to health and feeding. Production is higher and the pigs are also marketed. This system is commonly used by medium scale pig farmers in Uganda.

Intensive pig keeping: you will deploy this system when you want to produce meat efficiently for the market and for profit, usually in large numbers. You will have to invest significant time and money and carefully calculate your costs and resulting benefits. Be ready to invest in modern housing and on pig requirements for health and feeding.

Further to the above pig farming systems, you have to decide on a Pig Production System strategy.

Farrow to Wean: here you keep a parent stock of pigs and which give birth to piglets. Once the piglets are born, you rare them up to weaning and sell to growers and fatteners. You sell piglets only.

Farrow to Finish: here you raise piglets , wean them, grow them and fatten them in one unit. You sell pork, and live pigs to slaughter houses. Adopt this strategy if you have no market for piglets in your locality.

Fattening: Here you do not keep any parents on your farm. You continuously buy piglets and grow them for pork.

You can make an order for pigs, pig products, farm supplies and advisory services here.

How to work around the business numbers for your Piggery Unit

Just like any other business, you have to plan before you seek to start up your pig farm business. Whereas today we have increasing markets and prices for pig and pig products, we're increasingly facing high costs of production that could eat into your profits if we do not carefully plan for these costs.

No matter what system of production you choose to adopt, commercial pig production is highly profitable if proper husbandry is followed.

The following assumptions will help you project your business profitability as an average farmer:

a Piglet at 2 months, average weight 12Kg

Pig Average Weight Gain (ADG) per day is 0.607Kg

Breeding pigs are capable of producing 2 litters per year

Based on a service/gestation/farrowing/weaning/recovery cycle of 183 Days, each female pig could produce 20 piglets per year.

Factors that will affect your Pig Farm Profitability

Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR): or Feed Coversion Efficiency (FCE): is the measure of a pig's efficiency in converting feed mass into increased body mass. Specifically, FCR is the mass of the food eaten divided by the body mass gain, all over a specified period. Animal breeds with a low FCR are considered efficient users of feed.

Average Daily Gain (ADG): is a significant factor in assesssing growth rates in most food animal species. Your aim is that you keep a pig that grows faster so that you can achieve market weights in shortest period of time using the least amount of input/cost so that you recieve the highest profit. In pig production, the most cost-efficient feed conversion and the highest average daily gain are the primary factors determing efficieny of production.

Health: poor health will up the feed conversion ratio and reduce the average daily gain. Diseases like African Swine Fever (ASF) can wipe away all your pigs and cause a massive loss.

Genetics: The current market demands leaner carcases , so you should strive to produce leaner pigs, animals with high growth rate, larger litter size, high heritability and low conversion ratio. All these are directly influenced by genetics.

Reproduction: poor selection of the breeding stock and choice of a boar or artifical insaminate will directly affect your pig farming business profits.

Market and price: the market for pigs and pork is wide but has no importance before you identify your own market and the price it offers.

For the case of Uganda, pig production has become increasingly important; evidenced by the change in pig population from 0.19 to 3.2 million. In 2011, Uganda had the highest per capita consumption of pork in sub-saharan africa at 3.4kg/person/year.

We have many butchers, restaurants, hotels and supermarkets establishing today with pork on their menu both in Urban and rural areas. Pork is a delicacy to many Ugandans and largely considered a social meat that cannot miss on several parties organized by non- Muslim communities. Pork joints have also become meeting places for groups of people who want to eat meat. Unlike other meats, many pork consumers in Uganda prefer eating close to a kilogram of pork each time they meat at a pork joint!

You can make an order for pigs, pig products, farm supplies and advisory services here.

Costs: Items you will have to spend money on, when establishing your Pig Farming Business

Fixed Costs: you will incurr these before you start any production. They remain the same irrespective of any production increases or decreases and include: Building costs, Purchase/construction of feed troughs, Purchases or replacement of breeding stock, and Purchase of land.

Variable Costs: costs that will change in proportion to your production levels including Veterinary costs, stationary , transport , Maintenace of facilities, Marketing costs, wages and salaries , and losses due to mortalities.

Income: The sources from which your business expects money to come from will also affect your profits. Your Pig Farming Business could expect to make money from the sale of Weaners, Porkers and baconers, cull boars and sows, breeding boars and sows ,as well as sale of Manure.

Profits: This is the difference between your costs and income. The costs should include labor and any possible risk in your business. The most expensive input in pig production is feeds because it consumes between 60 to 80% of the total production costs. You have to implement strategies that will reduce the input costs in your business.

Use the form below to make an order for pigs, pig products, farm supplies and any other services you would like relating to Piggery.

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Eyeing Uganda piggery as your next African business venture or you're looking online for some pigs/piglets/pork/bacon or just advice to solve a mind boggling problem on your pig farm...? Well, what ever your quest, I guess you've stumbled on this page because you have some interest in Uganda's Pig production value chain and as such I suggest you read on...

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Africa, Start small ... grow big.

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Interested in a pig farming business in Africa? You're about to learn a few things that will blow your mind.

It may surprise you to know that pork (pig meat) is the most widely consumed meat in the world, followed by poultry and beef. Surprised, right?

The value of trade in pig products around the world runs into billions of dollars every year and Africa enjoys less than 5 percent of this action. China, with a fifth of the world's population, is both the largest producer and net importer of pig products on the planet!

As you will find out in this article, pig products have some of the most versatile uses on earth. Pigs probably have the highest profit potential of all farm animals because they cost little to feed and maintain, and produce much more meat than cattle, goats and sheep!

Did you know that a single piglet (baby pig), which costs between $30 and $50, can reach a market value of up to $400 in six to eight months?

This article looks at four very successful African pig farmers and explores the interesting opportunities in this business. I have also included a very detailed and FREE pig farming manual to guide you.

First, a quick dose of success stories from African pig farmers...

Although pig farming hasn't really picked up in Africa like other parts of the world, a few entrepreneurs are already enjoying the lucrative benefits of this enterprise.

Despite cultural and religious influences in parts of our continent that limit pork production and consumption, pig farming is growing across West, East, Central and Southern Africa.

In this section, we shall share the inspiring experiences of four small-scale pig farmers in Kenya, South Africa and Uganda. Let's meet them...
1. Anna Phosa - South Africa
Before hitting the limelight, Anna Phosa was an unknown entrepreneur who made a livelihood from her small vegetable farming business in Soweto. She was introduced to pig farming by a close friend and instantly developed a liking for the venture.

In 2004, Anna invested 1,000 Rand (about $100) to buy four pigs she used to start up her own small pig farm.

A little less than four years later (in 2008), Anna was contracted by Pick 'n Pay, the South African supermarket and retail giant to supply its stores with 10 pigs per week. This quickly grew to 20 pigs per week shortly after.

In 2010, Anna signed a breathtaking contract with Pick 'n Pay to supply 100 pigs over the next five years under a 25 million Rand deal (that's nearly 2.5 million US Dollars!)

With a contract in hand, Anna received funding from ABSA Bank and USAID to buy a 350-hectare farm property. From just four pigs, her new farm now holds nearly 4,000 pigs at a time and supplies roughly 100 to 120 pigs a week to retailers in South Africa.

Anna currently employs about 20 staff and has become something of a celebrity pig farmer on the continent!
2. Claire Omanga - Kenya
In Ksii, a city located in southwest Kenya, a former and first woman mayor of that city is leading a humble but strong lead in pig farming.

Clair Omanga is over 70 years old and owns a herd of 30 pigs that has now become a flourishing business.

In the short video below, she shares her experience about the high margins she makes on each pig and the misleading assumptions that keep many people away from pig farming despite its huge potential to get many of her neighbours out of poverty.
3. Martin Gachuma - Kenya
Martin was a Manager with Standard Chartered Bank before he quit the job to pursue an entrepreneurial passion in pig farming.

Having been raised on the proceeds of pig farming as a young boy, he decided to leave the world of suits and ties to exploit the lucrative potentials of the pig business. And his bet paid off!

Martin sells about 20 pigs every month and has gradually grown his business to a current stock of 200 pigs, which he often raises to 500 when the market demand increases.

According to this Business Daily Africa article, his current total wealth - calculated from the worth of his pig stock - stands at nearly 2 million Kenyan Shillings (roughly $23,000). He plans to multiply this wealth eight fold by 2015 and believes this is possible because the demand and market for pigs is grossly undersupplied.

He received the 2011 Winner's award from the President of Kenya during the Nairobi International Trade Fair as his country's best pig breeder. That's Martin Gachuma in the picture smiling with his trophy!

Photo credit: businessdailyafrica.com
4. Rachel Mubiru - Uganda
Rachel was a full-time housewife experiencing money troubles when she took a shot at pig farming. She already had a small poultry farm which she started with 100 broilers and expanded to a flock of 800 birds before she noticed that pig farming would be more profitable.

Starting with local pig breeds, Rachel saw the potential and advantages of foreign exotic breeds and eventually bought some from South Africa. These exotic breeds could grow up to a size of 300kg (compared to only 100kg for local breeds) and sold for much higher prices on the market.

According to an article on the Africa-Uganda Business Travel website, Rachel says one exotic piglet sells for roughly the same price as a full grown local breed (even after feeding the local breed for seven straight months)!

From an obscure housewife a few years ago, Rachel has become a millionaire pig farmer. She has used the proceeds of her pig business to sponsor her children's education up to university level and was one of a few farmers visited by her country's president during a tour for an agricultural program.

4 Reasons why entrepreneurs should consider the pig farming business in Africa

Just in case you're not inspired enough by the amazing successes of these pig farmers, I decided to give you four interesting reasons why you need to give this venture a thought.

Some of these reasons may be already known to you while others may be totally new - however, what they all share are the facts.
#1 - Consumption of pork products is already growing across Africa!
Urbanisation and economic growth is leading to the increasing presence of international and local fast food restaurants across our continent.

In addition to the entry of fast food brands like KFC and Dominoes, supermarket and retail giants like Walmart (Massmart in South Africa), Shoprite and SPAR are introducing a range of pork-dominated Western diets to African consumers.

Foreign tourists, workers, investors, and their families are also flocking to our shores for business and pleasure. As a result, more of the hotels and restaurants who have a large customer base of foreigners now want to serve pork delicacies. This surely means that local pig farmers will be needed to maintain a huge and regular stock of pork products to satisfy the growing demand.

In South Africa for example, pork has overtaken mutton/lamb as the more favourite meat following the 59 percent rise in pig production.

Another interesting example is Morocco, an overwhelmingly Muslim country. Moroccan pig production is increasing to cater to the demand of millions of tourists (especially Europeans) who visit the North African nation every year.

According to this article, it's quite interesting that the major pig farmers in Morocco are Muslims and Jews (who do not consume pork for religious reasons). This interesting trend is sure to continue as Africa's cities grow to accommodate more foreign tastes.

Popular pork foods include: (1) Hamburgers, (2) Sausages, (3) Ham and (4) Bacon. (photo credits: ords.com; wellnessroadtrip.com; laverstokepark.co.uk and finecooking.com).
#2 - Pigs multiply really fast!
One of the reasons why pig farming is very lucrative is that pigs multiply really fast. One sow (mature female pig) can furrow (give birth to) between 8 and 18 piglets at a time.

The gestation (pregnancy) period for pigs is just four months and sows can furrow up to two times a year. This means that one sow, which costs about $400, can produce up to 16 - 36 piglets in a single year. These piglets which reach a market size of 70 kg in six to seven months can sell for up to $300 each!

No other farm animals, except chickens, rabbits and ostriches, can multiply this fast!

As you will learn in the detailed manuals at the bottom of this article, pigs grow to market size very fast because of their amazingly high feed-to-meat conversion ratios. This simply means that for every kilogram of food they eat, pigs produce more flesh (meat) than cattle, goats and sheep.
#3 - Pigs are highly adaptable and easy to farm
According to one of our recommended manuals, pigs have over 15,000 taste buds (humans have just about 9,000). This enables them to eat everything humans eat and other stuff like grass, forage and feed eaten by other animals.

In fact, pigs are the best and most efficient animals for converting kitchen wastes, garbage, leftover food and other non-conventional feedstuffs into meat.

Considering the high and rising cost of grains and concentrates used to produce animal and livestock feeds, the ability of pigs to consume a wide variety of foods increases its profit potential as a business. Since they are able to recycle most materials (which they eat and convert to meat), pigs help farmers to largely reduce feeding costs and waste.

Pigs also have a high resistance to diseases (these guys hardly get sick) and adapt easily to most environments (hot or cold). This makes it possible for pigs to be raised on both a small and large scale.

Due to this adaptability, pigs make great candidates for intensified or diversified agriculture that fits a wide range of budgets. (photo credit: traditionalartsindiana.org)

It's also important you know that pigs do not have sweat glands and have no way of cooling themselves when they get hot.

So they don't die of heat exhaustion, pigs raised in the open often wallow in the mud as a way to cool down.

A pig's love of mud is not for the sake of filth or dirtiness; it's just a basic act of survival. Pigs by nature are actually very clean animals. Yeah, I was surprised too but that's what the experts say!

#4- Pigs yield more meat...
Despite their ability to convert more feed into body weight (flesh/meat), pigs also produce more meat when they are slaughtered.

Unlike cattle, sheep and goats which produce between 50 and 55 percent meat from their bodies, pigs can yield up to 70 percent edible meat because they have a much smaller proportion of bones than meat.

In addition to its high meat yields, meat processors and marketers love pig carcasses because they're easier to handle and package compared to other types of meat.

2 very important things to consider before starting a pig farming business in Africa

Like every other business, there are certain important factors you must consider to succeed in pig farming. These are patterns I noticed in the successes of some of the pig farmers we discussed above and will surely work for you too.

Like I mentioned in our very popular article about finding business ideas, there's no point reinventing success when you can legally copy it! Here we go...
#1 - Start small but dream big...
Starting small and dreaming big is the motto I live by, and one of the pledges under the Smallstarter Manifesto.

Did you notice that all the successful pig farmers we looked at earlier in this article started with a small number of pigs?

Starting small allows you to expose only a small amount of your capital to the risk of failure - and yes, not all businesses will succeed. With small capital invested, it will not be the end of your world if something goes wrong.

Again, you shouldn't ever underestimate the power of learning on a small scale. You will discover patterns, tricks, things that work and won't work. Based on your growing experience of the business, what customers are asking for, and your small successes and failures, you can gradually increase the size of your pig farm.

Anything between three to five breeders is great for starters. Don't worry, all of the details are covered in the manuals at the end of this article.

It's also important that you never lose sight of your big dreams.

Nobody would have ever believed that Anna Phosa, the South African celebrity farmer, could rise from a small-scale pig farmer to become a supplier to a major retailer under a multi-million dollar contract.

That's the power that big dreams give you. No matter how small you start, you can become as big as your dreams. You can do it too!
#2 - Starting with the right breed is the key to success!
There are different local and exotic pig breeds, each with its advantages and disadvantages.

No matter how much capital you invest, or how good you are at pig farming, the profit potential of this business will be limited by the breed of pigs you start with.

As you will learn from the training manuals in the next section, selective breeding makes it possible to reduce the time it takes for a pig to reach market size and can increase its meat production at the same time.

Choosing the right breed can often mean the difference between financial success and failure in the pig farming business (photo credit: ansi.cornell.edu)
How to start your own pig farm - Detailed and Practical Manuals

As usual, I have searched all corners of the internet to get you the most detailed, authoritative and FREE guides and practical manuals on pig farming.

All of them were written with developing regions like Africa in mind and reveal several low-cost and easy-to-understand techniques for pig farmers. Above all, they contain all the information you will ever need to succeed in this venture. Here they are...

Pig Production Technology for Piggery Farmers is a great book to start your pig farming journey. It's adapted to pig farming in Africa and was written by the Agricultural Extension & Research Unit of a national university in Zaria, Nigeria. We consider it the A-Z of pig farming because it contains all the information you need and a step-by-step application of this knowledge. We highly recommend that you start your learning with it!

The Farmer's Hand Book on Pig Production is a colourful and simply-written manual from the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. This book was developed to educate pig farmers in Nepal (a developing country in Asia). It provides a lot of information on breeding, feeding, housing pigs, detection and treatment of swine diseases.

Pig Farming Workshop Manual: This short manual was used during a training program for youths in South-West Nigeria. It is a quick and easy introduction to pig farming and should get you acquainted with all the basic terms, rules and best practices in pig farming.

Now you know what it takes to succeed in the pig farming business in Africa

The impressive success stories of the African pig farmers in this article prove beyond doubt that the potentials in pig farming on our continent are huge.

Apart from the growing demand for pork, the high profit potentials of pig farming remains possible because there are only a few pig farmers to supply a growing market. Compared to other types of livestock farming, pig farming is not yet as crowded as poultry and fish farming.

We really hope you found this article informative. If you have any experience in this area or know a little more about it, we're sure a lot of people reading this would love to learn from you. If you are confident that pig farming will work for you, it's important that you start taking action as soon as possible. You could also choose from many more amazing business ideas in the Business ideas section of this website.
And by the way, if you enjoyed reading this article and you're thinking of raising capital to start or grow your business, you'll love my amazing and life-changing FREE course. Click the course banner below or click here to get started with the course.
Please leave a comment in the section below or share this opportunity with a friend using the Facebook, Twitter and Google+ buttons below.

To your success!

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Pig farming - How this business is changing lives in Africa and everything you need to start your own

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Interested in a pig farming business in Africa? You're about to learn a few things that will blow your mind. It may surprise you to know that pork (pig meat) is the most widely consumed meat in the world, followed by poultry and beef. Surprised, right? The

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Africa.

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Researchers from the University for Development Studies and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology conducted a baseline survey to identify key factors that affect pig rearing and prospects for intensification and integration with crop production. Continue reading

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Researchers from the University for Development Studies and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology conducted a baseline survey to identify key factors that affect pig rearing and prospects for intensification and integration with crop production. Continue reading

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The Humane Society of the U.S.
Overlooked: the lives of animals Raised for ood.

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Food Equipment Australia Cattle Slaughtering Equipment

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Overlooked: The Lives of Animals Raised for Food

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Narrated by James Cromwell, 'Overlooked' takes a look at the cruelty animals endure on factory farms, as well as recent advancements for farm animals and what you can do to help them. Help farm animals and follow the Three Rs: http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/eating/

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Belgium, the same. Scenes from this video were used in the news item about death rates of piglets on Dutch national news at 20.00 h., prime time. View original.

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Wist je dit? Miljoenen en miljoenen biggetjes sterven ook bij ons elk jaar op gruwelijke manier in varkenskwekerijen

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Steeds meer biggetjes in varkenskwekerijen in Europa sterven op gruwelijke manieren. De aantallen zijn werkelijk hallucinant: het gaat om miljoenen dieren elk jaar. Ook in ons land. Deze vaak jonge biggetjes liggen soms uren of dagenlang te creperen totdat de boer ze vindt. Dan worden ze gewoon doodgeslagen, maar één klap is niet altijd fataal.

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In The Netherlands millions of piglets die before they can be slaughtered.

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Vandaag zijn we begonnen met een nieuwe campagne tegen biggensterfte. Dat is hard nodig, want uit nieuwe cijfers blijkt dat 6 miljoen biggen in 2015 nog voor de slacht stierven. Vanavond besteedt het NOS journaal aandacht aan deze dramatische ontwikkeling.
Biggensterfte hoger dan ooit

In 2009 voerden wij ook al campagne op dit onderwerp. De overheid erkende toen dat de biggensterfte te hoog was. Hierop werd de stuurgroep Bigvitalitiet opgericht met het doel om de biggensterfte met 15 tot 20% terug te dringen. Uiterlijk in 2018 moest de biggensterfte zijn teruggedrongen tot 10,5%. Nu blijkt de biggensterfte met 13,8% hoger dan ooit. Vaak gaat het om jonge biggetjes die uren- of dagenlang liggen te creperen of worden doodgeslagen door de boer. Vanavond besteedt het NOS journaal aandacht aan deze misstand.
Kijk vanavond om 18 uur of 20 uur naar het NOS journaal op NPO1.

© Copyright 2017 Varkens in Nood

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Vanavond in het NOS journaal: massale sterfte onder biggen

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Vandaag zijn we begonnen met een nieuwe campagne tegen biggensterfte. Dat is hard nodig, want uit nieuwe cijfers blijkt dat 6 miljoen biggen in 2015 nog voor de slacht stierven. Vanavond besteedt het NOS journaal aandacht aan deze dramatische ontwikkeling.

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Nederland

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Zo voor het avondeten is dit een topic dat u wellicht even over kunt slaan: we hebben het maar gezegd. Maar het is wel hoe onze oprichter-met-bretel vegetariër is geworden, dankzij dit soort reportages. Dierenrechtenbeweging Animal Rights maakte een undercoverfilmpje, dat vandaag voor nogal wat opschudding zorgde.

Straathof is mogelijk de grootste varkensboer van Europa. Onomstreden is hij niet, hij zou zich niet aan de regels houden volgens Brandpunt. Dat programma maakte onder meer dit item over hem. Lezersvraag: hoe rijk is deze man?

Straathof gebruikt een drietal bv's, namelijk LVBV, Sebava en Nivarpa, allen in Brabant gevestigd. Het moederbedrijf kent een omzet van een kleine € 50 miljoen per jaar, zo zien we later. In de jaren 2010 en 2011 maakt Straathof nog verlies maar dat zal aantrekken.

De omzet van het concern bedraagt € 48,5 miljoen en wordt vooral en Centraal- en Oost-Europa gerealiseerd, met zelfs een beetje verkoop in China. Slechts zeven procent gaat naar de Nederlandse consument. Sinds 2012 schrijft Straathof weer zwarte cijfers, in de laatste twee bekende jaren haalde hij een winst van meer dan € 2 miljoen.

Het valt ons op dat Straathof de omzet met 12,3 procent weet toe te laten nemen, terwijl de personeelskosten dalen. Dan kan het niet anders dan dat de werkdruk toeneemt, wat een zeer logische verklaring is voor de beelden uit het filmpje. Want tegen een lekkere lap vlees zijn wij niet (en alles heeft een prijs), maar wat we hebben mogen aanschouwen lijkt niet in overeenstemming te zijn met vigerende milieuregels. Met de genoemde winstgevendheid, de opgepotte reserves en de hypotheekvrije villa van € 599.000 die te koop staat schatten wij Straathof op ongeveer € 20 miljoen netto in. Overigens is hij fan van Ajax en reist hij graag naar Australië maar daar laten we het maar bij.

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Adriaan Straathof pakt € 2.188.939,00 per jaar met varkens martelen | 925.nl

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Zo voor het avondeten is dit een topic dat u wellicht even over kunt slaan: we hebben het maar gezegd. Maar het is wel hoe onze oprichter-met-bretel vegetariër is geworden, dankzij dit soort reportages. Dierenrechtenbeweging Animal Rights maakte een undercoverfilmpje, dat vandaag voor nogal wat opschudding zorgde.

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Australia

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Conservative ministers are planning to repeal an array of official guidance on animal welfare standards, starting with a move to put the code on chicken-farming into the hands of the poultry industry.

Liz Truss, the environment secretary, is overseeing moves to scrap the statutory codes on farm animal welfare and move to an "industry-led" guidance as part of her department's deregulatory agenda.

In a change that has caused concern with the RSPCA, Compassion in World Farming, and opposition parties, the government has already quietly tabled a draft order to scrap the official code on farming chickens for meat and breeding.

It is planning to revoke the code on 27 April - the day that new guidelines will be made public by the British Poultry Council, which will in future be in charge of writing and keeping the new regulatory code.

The industry body counts chicken hatchers and breeders as well as meat-processing giants such as Faccenda and 2Sisters among its member companies.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed it will now begin working with other livestock sectors in a staged timetable of reform. Other sectors that could get control of their own guidance include the cattle, sheep and pig farming industries.

A Defra spokeswoman said that overarching animal welfare legislation that sets out criminal offences will remain in place alongside the new industry code. "No changes are being made to farm animal welfare legislation or the strict enforcement and penalties that apply," she said.

"Instead, the British Poultry Council has produced new non-statutory guidance on how to comply with the legislation. The industry-led guidance can also be used as evidence in court to prove criminal liability and will ensure farmers have the most up-to-date and practical information."

However, charities are worried that the move regarding poultry could weaken animal welfare standards in farms and lead to fewer prosecutions for animal cruelty.

Legislation that makes it a criminal offence to mistreat animals is not being changed but the statutory codes have until now been used to give magistrates guidance on where those being prosecuted have fallen short compared with good practice.

Peter Stevenson, chief policy adviser at Compassion in World Farming, said the charity was deeply concerned about the scope for animal welfare standards to be weakened.

"I find it very hard to believe when one goes from a government code to an industry code it is going to be as tough. For example, the government code on pigs is quite tough. It says tail docking should only be used as a last resort. Would the pig industry would keep such tough wording? I think inevitably one will see a dilution of the codes.

"I don't think this is isolated but part and parcel of a wider approach. The job of a government department is to hold the balance between competing interests. It is not to come down on one side and say animal welfare, dietary health and the environment have to be subservient to the needs of industry. It is both damaging in itself, and illustrative and symptomatic of this wider problem that we are getting."

In responses to the government's consultation, released under Freedom of Information laws, concerns were also raised that in the future the code on chickens could move to recommend the common industry practice of catching birds with just one leg, rather than the government code's current advice on catching with two legs.

The RSPCA said it has been voicing concerns for the past three years about the "downgrading" of the guidelines from statutory codes to industry-led guidance and criticised the lack of transparency around the process.

"We are concerned that this change to guidance could impact on the legal weighting these documents have in providing magistrates with legal guidance when considering negligence during animal welfare prosecutions," a spokeswoman said.

"We also have concerns that the new guidance documents may not contain the same level of welfare information as the existing codes and may only serve to help ensure animal keepers are compliant with minimum legal requirements."

The British Poultry Council said that the body had worked very closely with the government to ensure there was no weakening of standards. It said many of the codes are outdated and Defra did not have the resources to view all of them, but the new chicken guidance has been reviewed "using a significant amount of resource from the industry" and based on scientific evidence.

John Reed, chairman of the British Poultry Council, said: "We were determined to ensure that we protected the integrity of the code. It was critical for the BPC to achieve the endorsement from Defra to ensure its credibility and acceptance by charities, retailers and the industry itself. A robust review procedure will be put in place to ensure that the requirements in the code are kept up to date with any new legislation and research."

Labour said the plans were "endangering Britain's proud tradition as a country that stands up for animal welfare".

Kerry McCarthy, the shadow environment secretary, said: "Abandoning codes of practice for farm animal welfare is not in the best interests of the animals and will not produce higher quality food."

The move to deregulate animal welfare comes after the Guardian exposed poor hygiene standards in some of the poultry industry last year.

McCarthy added: "In the wake of food scandals from horsemeat to campylobacter, scrapping government standards risks undermining public confidence in the food we buy."

Kate Parminter, a Lib Dem peer, will now table a regret motion in the House of Lords next month, saying she was "very, very concerned" that the process for scrapping the animal welfare codes was "not clear, not transparent and not all parties have been included".

Government sources said that the UK has some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and in Europe has pushed for higher standards, including ban on sow stalls, battery cages for laying hens and veal crates.

Topics

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Government planning to repeal animal welfare codes

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Conservative ministers are planning to repeal an array of official guidance on animal welfare standards, starting with a move to put the code on chicken-farming into the hands of the poultry industry. Liz Truss, the environment secretary, is overseeing moves to scrap the statutory codes on farm animal welfare and move to an "industry-led" guidance as part of her department's deregulatory agenda.

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Marooned in a Mountain of Manure. "On Dutch farms the animals produce more manure than the country knows what to do with. It is polluting the environment, but the animals can't turn the tap off." This article in the New Scientist is written by Sue Armstrong.

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New Scientist magazine was launched in 1956 "for all those men and women who are interested in scientific discovery, and in its industrial, commercial and social consequences". The brand's mission is no different today - for its consumers, New Scientist reports, explores and interprets the results of human endeavour set in the context of society and culture.

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China buys Smithfield Foods

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Smithfield Foods, producer of the iconic holiday ham, was one of America's flagship food companies, steeped in centuries of U.S. tradition.

The Virginia-based pork company derived its ham from a curing process Native Americans taught settlers five centuries ago. It owned part of Main Street in the bucolic town of Smithfield - including a restaurant, a historic Southern hotel and the company's nearby headquarters.

C. Larry Pope, its president and CEO, had a fireplace in his sprawling executive office, which looked more like a hunting lodge than the command center for what had become America's largest pork business.

But in 2013, a Chinese firm bought this quintessential slice of Americana - Main Street and all. The takeover, valued at $7.1 billion, remains the largest-ever Chinese acquisition of an American company.

Naturally, it riled patriots and protectionists. Pope's mother asked him why he sold to the communists. Pope also had to defend himself in the local newspaper: "These are not Russian communists. They like Americans."

Some xenophobia was to be expected. Anti-Chinese racism in America goes back nearly as far as, well, holiday ham.

But behind the usual flag waving and Red Scare antics lies a stark new reality: Chinese companies, at the urging of their government, have launched a global buying spree, a new phase in their unprecedented economic experiment. And they're targeting a resource that climate scientists, economists, the U.S. government, even Wall Street, all forecast will become dangerously scarce in the coming decades: food.

Food is poised to become the oil of the 21st century, with scarcity and demand creating a situation ripe for wars, riots and uprisings.

"We have a situation in the world food economy today where the growth in demand is exceeding the supply," said Lester Brown, a food economist and founder of the Earth Policy Institute.

Food - namely crops such as soy, wheat and corn from which most other food products, such as pasta, bread and livestock meat, are derived - is in dwindling abundance as the world's population grows ever larger, adding 220,000 mouths to feed every day. At the same time, global warming is destroying up to 2 percent of the world's crop production every decade, according to the United Nations.

"It is part of the transition from an age of surplus to one of scarcity," Brown said.

It's a daunting prospect for those of us expecting to be alive in 2050, when the planet's population is projected to reach at least 9 billion. Will we be able to feed everyone? Will politicians be capable of negotiating a global solution to vital food and water supplies?

The Center for Investigative Reporting helped launch an initiative called Food for 9 Billion in 2011 that set out to answer some of these questions. As part of that effort, I spent nearly a year examining the Smithfield Foods takeover. What I learned goes far beyond pork.

The world is set for a geopolitical struggle over food.

The Chinese government already is dealing with looming food shortages within its own borders as tens of millions are eating more as they move from poverty into the middle class. The government is pushing Chinese businesses - both state-owned and privately held - to gobble up agricultural resources from around the world, including Africa, Europe and the United States.

With the Smithfield purchase, a Chinese company now owns 1 in 4 pigs raised in the U.S.

The question for U.S. lawmakers is: Did the Smithfield takeover represent business as usual for international commerce, or did it signal a concerted effort to control food supplies by one of the world's most powerful governments?

If the Chinese government was involved in the 2013 deal, some influential U.S. lawmakers say they need to take action to protect against foreign intervention in a vital U.S. resource.

Pope, along with others who stood to benefit from the Smithfield deal, dismissed the Chinese government's role in the takeover. The government does not control Shuanghui International or its acquisition of Smithfield Foods, they said at the time. This is simply one private company buying another.

"Shuanghui is not a state-controlled company," Pope said in the summer of 2013, when U.S. regulators still were reviewing the deal for national security risks.

He testified to Congress that the Chinese government has no management control over Shuanghui.

That, however, is not the case.

Smithfield's slump

The largest-ever Chinese acquisition of an American company began with an unexpected phone call in March 2013.

Larry Pope sat in his office. An accountant by training, he'd spent the past 33 years climbing through the ranks of Smithfield Foods, the nation's largest pork company and the largest employer in Smithfield, Virginia, a pastoral town of 8,200.

Pope's office overlooked a tranquil tributary of the James River, where the first settlers sailed and established Jamestown about 30 miles away. Scattered around his office were memorabilia signed by NASCAR legend Richard Petty, whom the company sponsored and whose car was emblazoned with the Smithfield logo.

Pope had moved into the role of chief executive at Smithfield Foods seven years prior, taking the reins from the grandson of the company's founder. He oversaw the company's operations, including 46,000 worldwide employees, a research lab that had genetically engineered the leanest pigs on earth and nine slaughterhouses, including the world's largest in North Carolina.

The company processed 32 million pigs a year. On average, one pig moved through a Smithfield Foods processing plant every second to be slaughtered, butchered, packaged and shipped for consumption. Bacon, ribs and other pork cuts made Smithfield a multibillion-dollar company.

Smithfield supplied restaurant chains such as McDonald's and Denny's and many grocery stores in the United States. It represented the height of America's industrialized farming, owning everything from hog farms in Iowa to slaughterhouses outside Chicago and warehouses and distribution trucks that crisscrossed the United States, Canada and Europe.

But Smithfield Foods was struggling. Its share price had fallen over the past five years. The company had gone through a series of layoffs. Major shareholders were getting restless. They wanted Pope to take drastic measures.

The phone rang in Pope's office. It was Russell Colaco, an investment banker with Morgan Stanley. Pope knew Colaco and his reputation as a big-time dealmaker. And Colaco knew Pope's interest in buying a 20 percent stake in China's largest meat company, Shuanghui International.

Pope's plan to expand Smithfield Foods - and fend off his anxious investors - included tapping into China's booming consumer market.

The Chinese already consume half of the world's pork, and they are growing wealthier and hungrier for meat every year. In a single generation, China's fast-growing wealth has transformed a nation of impoverished rice and noodle eaters into the world's largest middle class, which can increasingly afford meat in its diet.

But getting Smithfield pork into China wasn't simply a matter of shipping it overseas. The Chinese government maintained strict restrictions on pork imports from the United States, including banning any meat containing a growth hormone commonly used by producers such as Smithfield. So Pope had negotiated - using a Chinese interpreter - with Shuanghui's chairman, Wan Long.

Wan had transformed a government-owned slaughterhouse, where he was appointed manager in 1984, into China's largest meat company, eventually listing it on the Hong Kong stock exchange and becoming its largest individual shareholder.

Pope proposed to Wan that they take a 20 percent stake in each other's companies. Smithfield would gain a powerful ally in Wan, who is politically connected to China's top leaders and also a member of the National People's Congress.

The partnership would be equal, reflecting the fact that although Smithfield Foods generated more than twice the revenue and was far more advanced in terms of global reach and pork technology than Shuanghui, growth rates in China were far higher.

China had the consumers. America had the pigs. It was a match made in free-market heaven.

Pope picked up the phone. Colaco cut straight to the deal. The Chinese were ready, he said. But it wasn't a partnership they wanted.

"What is it?" Pope asked.

"They'd like to buy all of Smithfield."

Pope was taken aback.

"Russ, that wasn't the call I was expecting."

"They are very interested in making this happen."

"Smithfield is not for sale," Pope shot back.

But then Pope equivocated. The shareholders were on his mind. Smithfield needed to boost sales. A potential fortune lay in China.

"But I do like this discussion," he finished.

Both Pope and Colaco told me that they remembered the call as cordial and succinct. They hung up, agreeing to talk again.

Pope, who had thought he could maneuver his way into the booming Chinese market, suddenly faced a takeover from the very place he had sought refuge.

The Chinese didn't want to save him. They wanted to buy him.

Shuanghui's generous proposal

Four months after that phone call, Larry Pope sat before the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. The deal had been publicly announced in May. Shuanghui had made an attractive offer - a 30 percent premium over Smithfield's publicly traded share price.

As CEO, Pope stood to earn at least $26.9 million in bonuses from the sale of America's largest pork company.

The U.S. Treasury Department was in the midst of reviewing the takeover for any national security risks. That review, by an obscure office within the department, was to remain classified per U.S. law.

There were calls for a public hearing. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley from Iowa said he wanted to know whether the Chinese government controlled Shuanghui. Debbie Stabenow, the Michigan senator who headed the agriculture committee, wanted to know the same and called Pope to testify.

It wasn't mere curiosity. Two years earlier, the Chinese government had signaled its strong desire for overseas agriculture. It had unveiled its five-year plan, which amounts to the Communist Party's roadmap for the country's economy. A major focus of this plan: buying up overseas farmland and foreign food companies.

In 2011, the year the five-year plan was announced, Chinese nationals owned $81 million worth of U.S. farmland.

By the end of 2012, the Chinese owned $900 million in U.S. farmland - a 1,000 percent increase - making them the largest buyers that year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Smithfield deal included another $480 million in U.S. farmland, which would push the Chinese stake to nearly $1.4 billion in less than two years.

Pope calmly addressed the senators in his measured Southern cadence. He assured them the Smithfield deal was simply the case of one private company buying another. He testified that the Chinese government had absolutely no management control in Shuanghui.

Pope explained that the deal would create jobs in the U.S., not destroy them. Shuanghui's plan to import more American pork would ramp up production at Smithfield's 460 hog farms, creating more money for farmers and more jobs at the slaughterhouses.

"China is looking to another market to help feed its growing demand," Pope said. "I think it is good for America. I think this is the opportunity America has been looking for to import jobs."

Stabenow pushed back. She wanted to know why Smithfield could not increase its sales to China as an American company and why only a takeover by a Chinese firm would open the doors to the world's largest pork market. The Chinese government was unfairly blocking American hog farmers from exporting there, she said.

If the situation were reversed, if Smithfield tried to buy Shuanghui, the Chinese government never would allow it, Stabenow concluded.

Pope found a more sympathetic ear in U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts from Kansas, which is a key state for the production of livestock feed.

American grain companies had supported the deal. In the past five years, China has become their biggest foreign customer.

Roberts lampooned criticism of the deal, asking Pope, "Did you realize you were the victim of a Chinese communist plot?"

Laughter broke out in the hearing. Pope chuckled.

"Senator, I did not," he said.

"And the control of your company somehow to allow China to control the pork industry?" Roberts asked, laughter erupting again.

"Senator, I was not aware of that," Pope responded, a smile spreading across his face.

Humble beginnings

In 1984, the Chinese government appointed Wan Long head of a small, unprofitable slaughterhouse about 500 miles southwest of Beijing. He had grown up only a few kilometers away. It was in a region akin to Nebraska, covered in fertile soil and with an economy driven by agriculture.

For Wan, who had served as a foot soldier in Mao Zedong's army, the timing was great. China had begun opening its economy to Western business practices. Ambitious and entrepreneurial, Wan innovated and expanded the business.

He released the first meat in China that carried a logo. To the Chinese, who were accustomed to viewing meat as an indistinguishable commodity produced by the government, this was something new.

Shuanghui became the first trademarked meat in communist China in 1992. The same year that Americans were introduced to Crystal Pepsi, Wan was leading a commercial revolution in China simply by introducing a brand name.

Shuanghui is now China's largest meat company, and with the addition of Smithfield Foods, it has become the world's largest producer of packaged meats, pumping out millions of tons of hot dogs and sausages every year.

A year after the Senate hearing during which Pope testified, I traveled to Shuanghui's headquarters in mainland China. I wanted to answer the question the senators couldn't: Does the Chinese government have management control over Shuanghui?

Today, the slaughterhouse that Wan took over in 1984 is still standing - barely. It's a crumbling vestige of another era and is packed not with hanging hog carcasses, but with storage boxes. Its facade is peeling and crumbling into the waist-high grass. A lone communist slogan remains above its entrance:

"Manufacturing civilization."

A few miles away, the company has built a more modern slaughterhouse set amid a sprawling, colorful campus that includes a distribution center, a food-grade chemical plant in partnership with DuPont and a processing operation that churns out brightly packaged meats of nearly every flavor and cut - from coconut sausages to smoked pig ears.

The campus also has a massive refrigerated warehouse larger than a football field. It houses something found only in China: a national pork reserve. Much as the U.S. government maintains a strategic oil reserve, China stashes away vast amounts of frozen pork in case of price inflation or war. The mammoth warehouse I was staring at housed 110 million pounds. It is one of the many pork-reserve warehouses that Shuanghui operates for the government across China.

Zhang Taixi, president of Shuanghui, walked me around the facility. Zhang is the top executive for the company's Chinese operations. Effectively, he is Larry Pope's counterpart in China. Both answer to Wan.

Zhang proudly spoke of how fast the company had evolved in the past three decades under Wan's leadership. Yet Zhang seemed almost dismissive of the recently built factories he was showing me.

"All this equipment is outdated," he said as we looked down at the humming factory floor. "It will soon be replaced."

He said Smithfield's processing equipment was three times faster.

A sense of excitement, of anticipation, exuded from Zhang and other company employees I spoke with in the city of Luohe. The future was at hand.

During my tour, I received a glossy company handout that served as an overview for plant visitors and included a translation in broken English. It described the company's purchase of Smithfield Foods and how that would help modernize its facilities in China.

It also stated something surprising. Shuanghui is required to adhere to Beijing's five-year plan, the Communist Party's national economic agenda. And the document was clear. Shuanghui meets its obligations and follows the path laid out by the Communist Party.

Despite its public listing in Hong Kong, Shuanghui answers to the Chinese government - going beyond regulatory compliance. It receives directives from Beijing, and it follows them. The company's candidness surprised me, especially because U.S. senators had been sparring over this exact topic a year earlier. Here was conclusive proof.

Robert Wan, son of Chairman Wan Long, confirmed this relationship to me. We stood on the 76th floor of Hong Kong's tallest building. We were in the company's international headquarters, looking out floor-to-ceiling windows in his father's corner office. It provided a million-dollar view of downtown Hong Kong through the thick July heat. Below us, air-conditioned ferries scurried across Victoria Harbour, shuttling people to mainland China from the former British colony.

Like his father, Robert Wan was born in Henan province. But he had spent almost a decade living and studying in Canada. He spoke nearly flawless English. He kept his hair short and stylish and wore a pressed white button-down shirt with casual pants. Like others at the company, Robert Wan was kind, gracious and forthcoming during our meetings.

I asked him about the company document.

He broke it down for me. The Chinese government acts like a de facto board of directors for the country's domestic industries - even for publicly traded companies like Shuanghui. The Communist Party issues the five-year plan, and Shuanghui is expected to follow that direction. The government can say it wants the Chinese meat industry to employ certain strategies, and all domestic companies are expected to adhere. Yet the day-to-day management of the company, how it chooses to carry out those directives, is left to the company's management. And if there is no directive, the company is free to proceed as it views best.

For modern Chinese companies like Shuanghui, which are largely focused on allocating their resources based on market conditions, it is a balancing act.

"You have to maintain some distance from the Chinese government, but not too much distance," Robert Wan said.

This is a unique challenge for Chinese businesses, he added.

But it is also an opportunity. The Chinese government owns a bank that provides the nation's businesses with financing. For helping carry out the government's agenda, Shuanghui received a $4 billion loan to take over Smithfield. The loan was approved in a single day.

The Bank of China described the financing as its "social responsibility" and said it was carrying out the government's plan to help domestic companies purchase overseas businesses, according to its 2013 annual report.

"The Bank spares no efforts to support Chinese enterprises in their international competition," it said.

I asked Robert Wan why the government was so interested in Shuanghui's business.

"Pork is considered a national security issue in China," he said.

Thin line between government and private business

For more than eight years, Usha Haley has researched the Chinese impact on U.S. industries as a business professor at West Virginia University. And she said, based on her research, the Smithfield deal was likely China's opening salvo to take control of the U.S. pork industry.

In China, the line between government and private business is often thin, a result of the country's unique blend of communism and capitalism.

In the more than 30 years since China opened up and began barreling down a path that has transformed it into the world's second-largest economy, American executives and policymakers have grappled with how to compete effectively with Chinese companies that benefit from high levels of government support.

Until recently, this support has been geared toward protecting China's domestic producers from foreign competitors.

But as Chinese companies have matured, the scale of their ambitions - along with the government's - has grown. They are entering a new phase of development, one that is taking them outside of China's borders as they look to acquire companies and farmland overseas.

I went to meet Haley in the town of Smithfield to discuss what her research could tell me about how the takeover would affect the town and its people.

"The jobs will remain. But they will be lower-quality, lower-paid jobs of hog slaughtering and hog breeding," she said. "The higher-paid, higher-value-added jobs that deal with marketing the products, processing the food, the technology development, that will go."

With its five-year plan in 2011, the Chinese government identified meat processing as a strategically important industry, and with the Smithfield purchase, the country gained access to the world's most advanced animal rearing, slaughtering and meat processing and distribution technology, she said.

Haley has testified before Congress several times on how China's growth is damaging the U.S. economy. She is a fast, firm speaker, and once she gets on a roll, she can dominate a conversation.

The Chinese will quickly import Smithfield's technology to China, using it to increase their domestic production and establish massive processing plants to churn out sausages and deli cuts from animals raised around the world, she said.

The United States increasingly will become a large hog farm for the Chinese, with refrigerated shipping containers transporting frozen pig carcasses to China, Haley said.

"Hog farming is one of the most polluting industries in the world, and so that will occur in Smithfield and elsewhere, the 400-plus farms that Smithfield and now Shuanghui owns around the United States," she said. "But the processing of that food will go to China, and China will acquire the brand name, Smithfield."

Haley has developed a theory on why China's economic approach has been so damaging to other American industries and now poses a threat to the pork industry. The theory is a bit technical, which isn't surprising for an academic. But here it is in its simplest form: Haley has found that China begins by importing the technological know-how and raw materials from the U.S. Then Chinese businesses use cheap labor to manufacture products for export back to the United States - offering lower prices in direct competition with established businesses in the U.S. This part of her theory is obviously not new.

But here is where she advances the conversation: She has found that even in industries in which the labor cost of the final product is relatively low, meaning it accounts for 2 to 7 percent of the total, Chinese companies still are able to sell the product for 25 to 30 percent less than their American competitors. In other words, China's big advantage is not just the cheaper labor.

So what is it? Heavy subsidies from the Chinese government, she says.

In the past decade, this is the destructive pattern China has developed to compete against other U.S. industries such as steel, paper and solar power, Haley said. Chinese businesses are able to undercut the prices of American producers and begin to control a larger and larger share of the market.

Her research indicates Shuanghui has received $2 billion in subsidies from the Chinese government.

China is now turning its sights on American agriculture. She laid out her prediction for China's impact in about five breaths.

"In two to five years, we will start noticing major changes in the United States. China will be in many agricultural sectors, not just pork. China will start acquiring much larger farms, for example. China will start consolidating," she said. "So, in these oligopolistic industries, such as pork, where four manufacturers control over 75 percent of the American pork industry, there will be much price cutting, layoffs, etc., as competitors start feeling the hot breath of China on their necks."

China's bold approach does not come without historic peril. The communist government's plan to overhaul the countryside in the 1950s resulted in an estimated 37 million people starving to death and leaving another 200 million people close to death. Today, the event remains seared into the memories of China's leaders, who understandably place great import on food security, Haley said.

"The Chinese, in my opinion, are behaving rationally. Food is in short supply in China. It's a source of unrest in China," Haley said. "They have OK'd the acquisition of agriculture in the United States to further Chinese interests."

China and the U.S. are roughly the same size geographically - about 3.7 million square miles. But China has more than four times as many people to feed. And it has less arable land than the U.S.

Rising meat consumption by China's rapidly expanding middle class has made matters even more difficult for the government there. Meat requires far more farmland. It's more efficient to feed grain directly to people in the form of noodles, bread and other products than to use it as feed for farm animals. It takes 7 pounds of grain to increase a cow's weight by 1 pound in a feedlot or 3 1/2 pounds of grain to add 1 pound to a pig.

Moving toward a meat-centric diet has put an incredible strain on China's agriculture system. Simply put, Chinese farmers can no longer keep up.

So China has turned to other countries to provide key commodities like the corn and soy used for livestock feed. This decade, China's grain imports from the U.S. have skyrocketed - quickly making it the largest importer of U.S. agricultural products. Across the globe, China now buys 60 percent of the world's soybean exports.

Chinese officials only recently have recognized the futility of their long-cherished national goal of food self-sufficiency, said Fred Hu, former head of Goldman Sachs for greater China.

"China will have to import a large quantity of foods from all over the world," said Hu, a Chinese national who helped raise funds for Shuanghui and now advises his government.

He agreed with Haley that food is increasingly a matter of political stability for the Chinese government.

"We have a one-party state, and the Communist Party depends on its ability to deliver economic prosperity and consumer satisfaction," Hu said. "In that way, for the severe shortage of any particular food item, or very significant price inflation, that could be a source of public discontent."

With the five-year plan, Chinese officials announced a two-pronged approach to the nation's food problem. They would rapidly modernize their antiquated domestic farming system, importing the factory farming pioneered in America by companies like Smithfield Foods. This would help China increase its domestic food production as it rapidly moves from backyard farming to industrial farming.

The government also ordered its domestic food producers to scour the globe, buying foreign companies and agricultural resources that China could control in the coming decades, when other countries such as India and Nigeria are expected to encounter similar food challenges in the face of their own growing middle classes and a swelling global population.

As is often the case in China, the government's agricultural plan moved ahead with lightning speed.

In 2013, Chinese companies were involved in a sixth of food-related deals globally, having never managed more than 2 percent in the preceding five years, according to a 2014 report by the Financial Times.

China is securing food supplies - increasingly, high-end food such as meat - for its middle class.

To critics of China's food grab, Hu says the Chinese still eat about half as much meat per capita as people living in the West.

"The U.S. still enjoys probably the highest living standards in the world," he said. "My advice for you in the West, after your criticisms, is that you probably should eat less meat to control weight and to stay healthy, right?"

But the U.S. government needs to better protect who is controlling its vital resources, such as food, Haley said.

"Everyone wants to see China succeed. It's an old civilization," she said. "But it is our government's prerogative and our government's responsibility to look out for the interests of U.S. consumers and U.S. industry, just as the Chinese are looking out for their industry and their customers."

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who asked Haley to testify before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, said the U.S. government needs to do more to protect U.S. agriculture.

She is calling on the Treasury Department, which reviews foreign acquisitions of major U.S. businesses, to expand the definition of national security to include food. Such a change could prevent future takeovers of America's farm and food companies.

Food is too vital an industry for the American people to allow it to be undercut by the Chinese government in the way that it has happened in other industries, Stabenow said when I visited her office in Washington.

"Food security is national security," she said. "It's as much a threat for Americans if we don't control our own food supply as it is if another country gets some kind of defense secret."

Rebranding and expansion

In August, I met with Larry Pope in Smithfield, at the company's headquarters along the Pagan River.

By that time, Shuanghui had been rebranded as WH Group and publicly listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange. As part of the listing, Wan Long paid himself a $460 million bonus for accomplishing the Smithfield takeover.

Wan, who remains a member of the National People's Congress, transformed a government job into a personal fortune valued at more than $1 billion.

I asked Pope, who is now an executive with WH Group, if he stuck by his testimony to Congress that the Chinese government has no management control over his new company.

"I have never seen a government official related to this transaction from China at all," he said.

I told him about the Shuanghui company document and what Robert Wan had told me about the company's adherence to the government's five-year plan.

"I have not seen any of that influence in our board meetings or in Chairman Wan's instructions and directions," he said. "I'm not getting any pressure from the WH Group or the Chinese government to do something that is not a good business transaction."

He spent much of our conversation extolling the merits of the deal, how it would improve food safety and pork supply in China and create more American farm jobs.

But for the first time, he publicly acknowledged the Chinese government's five-year plan.

"In many respects, this is carrying out the government's five-year plan, which is to improve the quality and the security of their food supply," he said. "In many respects, this transaction is right down the middle of the fairway of what the government wants to see happen."

Pope said Smithfield Foods now is transferring its technology to China, where American engineers are working with their Chinese counterparts to build a state-of-the-art food processing plant. It will be as advanced as anything in the United States, he added. And it is only the start.

WH Group is spending a quarter of a billion dollars to have four of these facilities open within two years. It will process the meat in China and sell it under the Smithfield brand, according to the company. It also will use Smithfield technology to build three slaughterhouses and a large-scale farm that are expected to be finished in the next few years.

The Chinese government has laid out a clear plan for its agriculture industry, and Pope is now part of it.

I handed him the Bank of China document that stated the government's financial support for the deal.

"Wow" was the first word out of Pope's mouth after he finished reading.

I asked him if he could have gotten a similar $4 billion loan, in a single day, with backing from the U.S. government, to buy a foreign company and its technology.

"No, I don't think that's doable in any industry that I can think of," he said.

He said it would be hard for American companies to compete with that, acknowledging that American competitiveness is at risk.

"I think the concern that others should have is that there's going to be more foreign companies wanting to buy U.S. companies," Pope said. "We need to have a bit of concern that what we've got, others value more than we do."
This story was produced in partnership with the McGraw Center for Business Journalism at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. It was edited by Andrew Donohue and Robert Salladay and copy edited by Sheela Kamath and Nikki Frick.
Nathan Halverson can be reached at nhalverson@revealnews.org. Follow him on Twitter: .

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How China purchased a prime cut of America's pork industry

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Smithfield Foods, producer of the iconic holiday ham, was one of America's flagship food companies, steeped in centuries of U.S. tradition. The Virginia-based pork company derived its ham from a curing process Native Americans taught settlers five centuries ago.

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After the fall of the Berlin Wall: Smithfield in Poland

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Smithfield in Poland - Pig Farming Facts

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Between 1999 and 2006 Smithfield invested US$250m in Animex and Polish agriculture and all profits continue to be reinvested into the Polish company. Via it's ISO accreditation, Smithfield via Animex and Agri Plus also invest in their employee training and development as well as in improving farming viability.

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Video of neglected cows at a Dutch dairy farm.

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Situatie van uitgemolken koeien in Nederland 2014 - situation of culled dairy cows in NL 2014

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Als follow-up naar aanleiding van de Zembla TV documentaire over de alarmerende trend in de melkveesector en de misleidende advertenties van Campina, tonen wij u een Eyes on Animals film. Het zijn beelden over de conditie waarin wij vele melkkoeien aantroffen tijdens inspecties van veehouderijen, veemarkten en slachthuizen in Nederland in 2014.

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Overview of companies in The Netherlands for breeding and raising animals:
626 pigfarms, 278 poultry farms,  306 beef farms, 2914 dairy farms, 93 for horses and asses, 97 for other animals.

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Fokken en houden van dieren in Nederland op de kaart

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Fokken en houden van dieren in Nederland op de kaart

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A study by the University of Agriculture Wageningen on the environmental impact of waste of the animal product processing industry, used as an internal document by the FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

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1. THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE ANIMAL PRODUCT PROCESSING INDUSTRIES

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The study describes and analyses the relationship between the production of waste in animal product processing industries on the one hand and the prevention and treatment of the waste on the other. The industries discussed are slaughterhouses, tanneries and the dairy industry.

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Slaughterhouse in France closed because of torture of animals

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Frans slachthuis gesloten na gruwelijke beelden

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Op de video is te zien hoe dieren in het slachthuis in Ales zonder verdoving worden geslacht.

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THE PAST, THE PRESENT & THE FUTURE: Animal Rights?

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THE PAST, THE PRESENT & THE FUTURE: Animal Rights?

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Animal rights: Animal rights, moral or legal entitlements attributed to nonhuman animals, usually because of the complexity of their cognitive, emotional, and social lives or their capacity to experience physical or emotional pain or pleasure. Historically, different views of the scope of animal rights have

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Export of Dutch technology of industrial farming

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At VIV China 2014 we present our latest climate control innovation and solutions, especially for the Chinese market. Our computers are based on several important features: clear and simple menu structure, suitable for every ventilation system and applicable in all climates. This offers you the perfect basis to produce according to the highest international standards.

Dutch technology

At our stand W1.F010 in Hall 1 of the New China International Exhibition Centre (NCIEC) in Beijing our product specialists are happy to give you insights in our latest innovation. Some of our highlighted solutions are:

The new Chicken Commander - for poultry barns especially developed for the diversity of the climates in the different areas of China. The Chicken Commander can control the complete ventilation, air-inlet and heating or cooling. Typically Dutch technology, engineered for China. More information is available soon.

The new Swineherd - specialized for pig farming in China. This piggery computer gathers and records the essential information within the pig barn in order to optimise the production. Typically Dutch technology, engineered for China. More information is available soon.

The new Aeolus air inlet is an extremely versatile inlet valve with many extra possibilities, manufactured from durable plastic and with a high insulation value. Download the flyer below.

Fortica & Orion

The award winning Fortica - the next-generation poultry computer with intuitive touchscreen display. Radically different from previous platforms and existing technologies. Total control of all barn processes, including climate, feed, water, egg flow and animal weighing.

Orion Poultry computer v4.00 - our most famous poultry computer is now available with the latest software (September 2014). It provides improvements and several new functions to stay ahead in the market for poultry house computers. The Orion poultry computer keeps improving!

We kindly invite you to our stand to find out yourself how we can support you in becoming more successful.

New China International Exhibition Centre
Hall 1 - Stand W1.F010
Beijing, September 23-25

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At VIV China 2014 we present our latest climate control innovation and solutions, especially for the Chinese market. Our computers are based on several important features: clear and simple menu structure, suitable for every ventilation system and applicable in all climates. This offers you the perfect basis to produce according to the highest international standards.

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Dutch bank, traditionally the bank for farmers.

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Observing recent developments in domestic pig, poultry and dairy farming, Director Food & Agri Netherlands at Rabobank Ruud Huirne concludes that Dutch livestock farmers will be able to maintain their leading international position if they focus on quality and sustainability and find new ways of dealing with price fluctuations.

As shown in the dairy market report published by Rabobank recently, sharp price fluctuations in this market are one of the trends that increasingly affects livestock farmers. After international market conditions drove up milk prices in 2014, prices have dropped by 25 percent since, with no recovery at sight just yet.

The other priority issue in livestock farming is sustainability. In a recent report on poultry farming, Rabobank notes that in the coming years between 30 and 40 percent of Dutch poultry farmers will need to make 'strategic choices' where quality and sustainability are concerned.

International leader

'The question to answer is: how can Dutch livestock farming remain competitive in the international market while at the same time retaining public approval at home?', says Ruud Huirne.

The Netherlands is a major exporter of meat, eggs and dairy products. These exports contribute to the Dutch economy and the global food supply. For example: the Dutch dairy sector generates 45,000 full time jobs and 8% of the Dutch trade surplus. Huirne: 'The Netherlands leads the way internationally in innovation, efficiency and sustainability. We must make sure to maintain that strong position.'

'The question to answer is: how can Dutch livestock farming remain competitive in the international market while at the same time retaining public approval at home?'

Ruud Huirne, director Food & Agri Netherlands at Rabobank.

'However, if you are looking for the lowest production costs, there are other countries where conditions are more competitive', says Ruud Huirne. And that is not only due to the scarcity of the land and high land prices, but also because there are few other countries where the general public, the media and politicians are so concerned about issues such as chicken breeding, the health and welfare of cows and pigs and the size of the barns. Huirne: 'The Netherlands is one of the most progressive countries in the world when it comes to public opinion on livestock farming. Initiatives to improve animal welfare in the Netherlands right now will spread to other countries over the next five to ten years.'

Improved flavour and quality

Meanwhile, the farmers themselves are both embracing and driving some of the changes sweeping the farming world. Poultry farmers are switching to more sustainable and animal friendly production methods while at the same time improving the taste and quality of their eggs and meat. Pig farmers are cooperating with Rabobank and the Ministry of Economic Affairs in developing ways of improving practices and increasing profits in their sector. In anticipation of the milk quota abolition on 1 April of this year, dairy farmers, for their part, invested heavily in expansion of scale (nowadays on average 94 milking cows per farm). Some of the sector's key concerns include outdoor grazing, improving animal health and controlling fertiliser production.

Rabobank is actively involved in these changes, both across the sector as a whole and through its relationships with individual farms. The bank's total loan portfolio in the dairy farming sector reached 12 billion euros in 2014, while those for pig farming and poultry farming totalled 2.4 billion and one billion, respectively.

Better meat merits higher prices

Ruud Huirne: 'The process of improving quality and sustainability in these sectors should also translate into higher prices for farmers, since they would not be able to keep their heads above water otherwise. I think we all agree that if you are going to produce more sustainable chicken and pork and grass-fed milk, you are entitled to charge higher prices for your products. but the fact is that such a price hike runs counter to the prevailing downward price trend for supermarkets and consumers.'

Market position

The key is for farmers and agricultural processing companies to come up with products for which supermarkets and consumers are willing to pay a higher price. Dutch dairy farmers are united in agricultural cooperatives, which enjoy a strong position internationally and are able to secure higher prices based on the superior quality of Dutch milk products. The pork and poultry sectors, however, show a somewhat different picture. Poultry farmers and slaughterhouses are looking to negotiate higher prices for more sustainable, higher-quality meat with Dutch supermarket chains. But the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets, which monitors compliance with laws and regulations in the free market, has yet vetoed this initiative, the purpose of which is to promote sustainable production methods in livestock farming. Individual supermarkets are now taking the initiative themselves.

Sharp fluctuations in income

Farmers operating in these open international markets are inevitably affected by unstable yield prices. Huirne: 'When prices have been riding high for a while, farmers need to be aware that these conditions may change overnight and they need to prepare for those changes by bolstering their reserves. Milk prices may have exceeded expectations in 2014, but a large global supply and lagging demand have since pushed prices down again to slightly below the long-term average. Of course, farmers are aware that this situation will turn around again and that there are flusher times ahead. These cycles are visible in pig and poultry farming.'

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Quality and sustainability: the twin strengths of Dutch livestock farming

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Observing recent developments in domestic pig, poultry and dairy farming, Director Food & Agri Netherlands at Rabobank Ruud Huirne concludes that Dutch livestock farmers will be able to maintain their leading international position if they focus on quality and sustainability and find new ways of dealing with price fluctuations.

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Dutch Fair for exporting technology of industrial farming

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EU-statistics on pig farming

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Pig farming in the European Union: considerable variations from one Member State to another

Statistics in focus 15/2014; Author: Pol Marquer, Teresa Rabade, Roberta Forti
ISSN:2314-9647 Catalogue number:KS-SF-14-015-EN-N

This article provides a general overview of statistics on pig farming in the European Union (EU). Pigmeat is produced throughout the EU on several types of farms with considerable variations from one Member State to another. Three quarters of pigs are reared by just 1.5 % of the largest fatteners. Small pig producers are mostly found in the 13 Member States that joined the EU since 2004, which creates a decreasing size of the herd. The tasks of pig rearing are distributed across farms in the main production basins and even across regions.

Main statistical findings

Regional data on livestock are more informative than national figures as a means of displaying the zones of pig production (Map 1). The major production basin extends from Germany (namely from Nordhein-Westfalen & Niedersachen), to Belgium (Vlaams Gewest) and accounts for 30 % of EU sows. However, there are other important regions, such as Cataluña, Murcia (Spain), Lombardia (Italy), Bretagne (France) and some areas of central Poland and Northern Croatia.

Structure of the pig farms

The distribution of national herds by size is taken from the Farm Structure Survey. The pigs are recorded in three categories, i.e. piglets, breeding sows and other pigs. The sows reflect the permanent pig herd and the other pigs are the pigs fattened before slaughtering (see details on Data sources and availability).

Herd size: other pigs

The distribution of the pig population by size of the pig herds (in numbers of other pigs) shows that 1.7 % of pig farms have at least 400 other pigs and rear 77.9 % of these (Figure 1) and 48.6 % of the sows. In twelve Member States (Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom) the herd size of 400 other pigs is more than 90 %, while in Poland and Romania this category is approximately 33 %. Animals kept in small units of less than 10 other pigs are important in Romania (62.8 %), Croatia (45.3 %), Slovenia (31.4 %), Lithuania (28.8 %) and Bulgaria (25.8 %). At the EU level, although these small units rear 3.8 % of other pigs, they account for 73.3 % of the pig farms.

Herd size: breeding sows

Two types of pig farm are classified based on the number of breeding sows: the fatteners and the breeder-fatteners. Almost half of the other pigs (41.6 %) are kept as fatteners, i.e. on farms without sows. However, this particular figure hides a range of different situations: 77.8 % of the other pigs are reared as fatteners with more than 400 animals, whereas 73.3 % of the fatteners have fewer than 10 pigs, mainly for own consumption. More than half of these numerous small farms (58.4 %) are in Romania.

Breeding sows, other pigs and herd size

The classification of pig farms according to their size class shows that on average the larger farms (more than 400 sows) are more technically efficient than medium- and small-sized farms. The size is a crucial element in the economic viability of pig farms. Smaller farms are impeded by greater technical inefficiencies whereas the large farms achieve better performance benefiting both from increased technical efficiencies as well as from greater economies of scale.

The breakdown of other pigs among the four types of pig farm (Table 1) is shown by country in Figure 2.

The small fatteners (no sows and fewer than 10 other pigs) represent a significant share of pig production and at least 10 % of other pigs in seven of the newest Member States (Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania and Slovenia). The importance of own consumption in pig production limits the sensitivity of this type of production to market conditions.

The large fatteners (no sows and at least 400 other pigs) account for more than one third of other pigs in ten countries (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom). They reflect a production organised between specialised breeders (which nevertheless have other pigs) and fatteners. These 10 countries represent two thirds of the other pigs and three quarters of the EU porkmeat production. In France the distribution is intermediate between typical fatteners or large breeders.

The large breeders (at least 400 pigs and 100 sows) manage more than two thirds of the other pigs in six countries (Czech Republic, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus and Portugal), where production is concentrated in a less organised production sector. This class feed also half of EU-28 sow herd.

The other pig farms manage more than two thirds of other pigs in Greece, Malta, Austria and Poland, which reflects a certain level of concentration, but one which is limited by the farm size. Latvia, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia, with almost two third of the other pigs in such farms, can also to be included into this group.

Components of the pig herd

Geographic distribution

Pig production is concentrated in a number of countries, with Denmark, Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands and Poland having more than two thirds of the breeding pigs between them (December 2013 survey). At regional level ( NUTS 1), more than half of the breeding pigs are concentrated in eleven regions, all of which are located in these six countries. Naturally, the size of the countries and regions plays a role in this ranking.

In relative terms, the average share of pig production in agricultural output is highest in Denmark (29 %), followed by Belgium (20 %), Spain (14.7 %) and Germany (14.5 %).

Structural differences between pig farms in EU-15 and 13 newest Member States

Another striking feature (Figure 3) is the high proportion of sows in small herds in the 13 newest EU Member States (NMS-13). More than 98.6 % of the sows are in farms with at least 10 sows in EU-15 as against 62.9 % in the newest Member States. According to FSS 2010, the 13 newest Member States accounted for 2.9 % of the breeding sows overall, but only 41 % of these sows are in herds of 100 to 199 sows.

Components of the pig herd - types of animal

The livestock survey provides more detailed figures about the livestock population (see details on Data sources and availability). The number of sows or piglets determines the number of fattening pigs, which in turn determines the number of pigs to be slaughtered several months later.

The number of boars per sow (Table 2) reflects the frequency of artificial insemination, and also the importance of the herds in natural service. This shows the importance of genetics as it is seen in the ratio of boars and sows is relatively high and its influence between the other factors referred which could have an important impact in the sector.

The percentage of new sows (gilts) reflects the pressure to renew the breeding animals and is another determinant of genetic progress.

The pig population can be divided into two groups i.e. breeding pigs and meat pigs (Figure 4). The former provide the production factors for the latter. The breeding pigs are renewed by keeping young pigs from the previous year and slaughtering (culling) old pigs. The meat pigs can be sold at different stages as pigs to be fattened or as fattened pigs to be slaughtered.

Components of the pig herd - trade of live animals

The intra-EU exchanges ( COMEXT) of pigs less than 50 kg amounted to 468 542 tonnes in 2013 which is equivalent to 17.7 million heads (Map 2). This map shows the trade of live pigs flow in 2013 in EU-28. It cannot be compared directly with the population of young pigs at any given moment.

Germany is the main importer of young pig, with 55.1 % of total EU-28, followed by Poland with 23.2 %. For breeding animals and for slaughtering (Map 3), these two countries are shown as the highest importers as well.

Denmark is the piglet exporter leader country by far in EU-28 (56.9 % of the total EU-28). However exports of pigs for slaughtering are much more distributed between the different Member States.

It can also be noted from these maps that pig production is specialized even across borders. For example, Denmark for breeders, Spain for fatteners and mixed producers such as Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands that comprise one of the major production areas referred in Figure 1.

Changes and trends

Changes in the pig population

The total number of sows represents the production capacity. Between 2008 and 2013, the number of sows fell by 13.5 %. In the 13 newest Member States the reduction was steeper (-20 %) than in the 15 former Member States (-8 %). It should be highlighted that the decline has been less pronounced in Romania, being an important producer where the restructuring process has been achieved faster than in other newest Member States. Greece and the Netherlands showed increases in the number of sows.

Such extreme changes are a combination of several factors, which have a varying impact depending on the structure of pig production. The general decrease concerns all countries, but the underlying reason is one of concentration, i.e. an increase in the size of the largest herds together with the disappearance of the smallest. The trend is towards a decrease in the number of breeding sows and, in the short-medium term, this change in the structure of pig production in the 13 newest Member States can be expected to continue.

Figure 5 shows that the decrease in the total number of sows is balanced by a gain in productivity.

The most recent data come from the livestock survey carried out in December 2013. The trend of the pig livestock along this period of time (2008-2013) confirms a decrease in the total number of pigs (-4.8 %). The number of breeding sows has declined (-9.3 %), however compared with the 2012 survey, it has slightly increased (0.3 %). The same behaviour is observed for fattening pigs (-4.4 %) with a slight increase compared with previous year (0.4 %). The number of piglets was decreasing from 2008 until 2013 at around -7 %, and -0.4 % compared with 2012.

Changes in farm structure

The structural data on the changes in the number of sows from large farms with at least 200 sows and those from small farms with fewer than 10 sows enables us to classify member states pig sectors into three types.

Concentration (Figure 6): In eleven Member States, large farms are accounting for more and more sows to the detriment of the smallest farms. These Member States account for less than half (42.8 %) of the EU sow herd according to the December 2013 livestock survey. Generally speaking, in these countries the surviving farmers are only those that have understood the need of having sustainable production based on investments in technology, genetics, nutrition and integration.

Abandonment (Figure 7): The decrease affects pig farms of all sizes, including large farms in fifteen Member States. These account for 48.6 % surveyed in December 2013.

Restructuring (Figure 8): In two Member States, Croatia and Poland, the number of sows from small herds fell sharply and the number in the medium and large herds rose correspondingly. This can be interpreted as a re-organisation of production. These herds accounted for 8.6 % EU sows, according to the livestock survey (December 2013).

Changes in the types of pig farm

The number of small fatteners follows a general downward trend. This cut is especially noticeable in those MS with more small farms. The number of pigs is also falling at a similar rate, as there is a strong link between these two numbers.

The number of large fatteners is increasing, compared to 2007, and although the number of large farms is stable, their average size is continuing to increase. On average, between the 2007 and 2010, the number of pigs has been increased for large fatteners and this has been confirmed with higher values at national level.

Although the number of large breeders has increased in some Member States such as Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary and Slovenia, the average number of breeding sows per farm has increased by 14 % at EU-28 level compared to 2007, however this figure has dropped in six Member States (Bulgaria, Ireland, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia and United Kingdom). Concerning the average number per farm of other pigs the total increase has been around 22 % except in Ireland, Cyprus, Malta and United Kingdom.

This data confirms the trend of concentration of the pig production sector in large farms where fixed costs are divided by a larger quantity of animal increasing productivity thus reducing the average cost of production.

Production of porkmeat

Porkmeat data reflects the production from the slaughtering of live pigs in a given country ( Gross Indigenous Production, GIP). Should be noted that correspondence between fattening and slaughtering is not exactly the same.

Seasonal variations in production are due to lower sow fertility in summer as well as other cultural factors such as traditional celebrations. Porkmeat production shows an economic cycle (which is less than two and half years), although its impact on farmer decision is less than that of major economic changes or animal crises.

In 2013 porkmeat production in the EU-28 reached 252.9 million head (Table 2), of which more than half (58 %) came from four countries (Germany, Spain, France and Poland). The EU external trade balances showed a surplus around 1.2 million tonnes (porkmeat and processed porkmeat), which represents 5,4 % of the total slaughtering in 2013. Four countries (Denmark, Germany, Spain and Netherlands) contributed to 75 % of the total extra-EU exports mainly addressed to Russia, China, Japan and South Korea.

In accordance with the fall in the number of breeding pigs, it is foreseen that production during 2014 will decrease so that EU-28 GIP is expected to be around 251 million head in total for the four quarters of 2014 (Figure 9). According to the cycle of production an increase in porkmeat production can be however be possibly expected for 2015.

Market prices

The decline in pig herds can be attributed mainly to low profitability. The cut on sow numbers was bigger than expected these last years in accordance with December livestock surveys. Also, during this last period there has been a high volatility in feed prices resulting in high prices for both cereals and compound feeding stuffs (Figure 10). This has created a difficult situation which has forced an important number of pig farmers to cease production.

Data sources and availability

For the data in this article, five different sources were used:

The Farm structure survey, a robust survey with a wide scope, no longer collects, from 2009 onwards, the structure of livestock rearing. Thus, the data are drawn from the FSS. Although this allows a wider scope (including land use, livestock, labour force, etc.) and a longer reference period, the results are less informative about the pig population than the data previously collected through the Livestock survey. Also the categories of pigs surveyed are limited to three: piglets with a live weight of less than 20 kg, breeding sows (weighing 50 kg and over) and other pigs. This latter category covers fattening pigs and also boars, cull sows, gilts, and various other pigs of at least 20 kg. Most of these other pigs are fattening pigs. Four times per decade the farm structure survey records data about the farm structure which can be used for describing the structure of animal herds.

The Livestock survey, a more frequent and specialised survey than the FSS, provides information about the livestock population at national and regional level; the relevant data are intended to be more precise than the FSS figures for the three categories above and the nomenclature of livestock contains more animal categories.

Slaughtering and meat production statistics (forecast and updated figures) are collected on a monthly basis; they refer to the activity of slaughterhouses. From the slaughtering and the balance of external trade for live animals, the gross indigenous production can be estimated, as can the national production of pigs for slaughtering. The GIP is forecast by the Member States, which provide Eurostat with these figures once or twice a year.

Agricultural price statistics (indices and absolute prices) are collected on the basis of a gentlemen's agreement following the methodological descriptions from the Handbook for EU agricultural price statistics. The main use for absolute agricultural prices is to compare the price level between Member States and to study sales channels. On the other side, agricultural price indices are used above all in connection with the analysis of price developments and the effect on agricultural income.

External trade statistics (exhaustive database) record the monthly trade of the Member States in terms of imports and exports between Member States or with the third countries provided, as reported by the traders on the basis of Customs (extra-EU) and Intrastat (intra-EU) declarations.

European Commission Rural development policy aims to improve competitiveness in agriculture and forestry, improve the environment and countryside, improve the quality of life in rural areas and encourage the diversification of rural economies.

As agriculture has modernised and the importance of industry and services within the economy has increased, so agriculture has become much less important as a source of jobs. Consequently, increasing emphasis is placed on the role farmers can play in rural development, including forestry, biodiversity, the diversification of the rural economy to create alternative jobs and environmental protection in rural areas.

The FSS continues to adapt to provide timely and relevant data to help analyse and follow these developments.

Further Eurostat information

Publications

Main tables

Farm structure: historical data (1990-2007) (t_ef)

Farm structure (ef)

Agricultural prices and price indices (apri)
Price indices of agricultural products (apri_pi)

Agricultural production (apro)
Animal production (apro_mt)

Meat production (apro_mt_p)

Livestock (apro_mt_ls)

Dedicated section

Source data for tables and figures (MS Excel)

Other information

Regulation 1165/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 concerning livestock and meat statistics and repealing Council Directives 93/23/EEC, 93/24/EEC and 93/25/EEC

Regulation 1166/2008 of 19 November 2008 on farm structure surveys and the survey on agricultural production methods and repealing Council Regulation 571/88

Regulation 1200/2009 of 30 November 2009 implementing Regulation 1166/2008 on farm structure surveys and the survey on agricultural production methods, as regards livestock unit coefficients and definitions of the characteristics

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Pig farming sector - statistical portrait 2014

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Statistics in focus 15/2014; Author: Pol Marquer, Teresa Rabade, Roberta Forti ISSN:2314-9647 Catalogue number:KS-SF-14-015-EN-N This article provides a general overview of statistics on pig farming in the European Union (EU). Pigmeat is produced throughout the EU on several types of farms with considerable variations from one Member State to another.

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Free range denotes a method of farming husbandry where the animals, for at least part of the day, can roam freely outdoors, rather than being confined in an enclosure for 24 hours each day.

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TIPP

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EU-legislation on slaughter

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Slaughter & Stunning - Food Safety - European Commission

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U.S. Pew Commission on Industrial farm animal production

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NCIFAP - Industrial Farm Animal Production

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Download the report in full
Also available are the following reports of a more technical nature.

They are available for instant download. Please use the relevant links below and feel free to save the reports to your device. These links will open the reports in a new browser window.

Technical Report #2
Download the report
Technical Report #3

Technical Report #4

Technical Report #6
Download the report

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Download the report in full Also available are the following reports of a more technical nature. They are available for instant download. Please use the relevant links below and feel free to save the reports to your device. These links will open the reports in a new browser window.

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An article  on a scientific study on How Sustainable Agriculture can address the Environmental and Human Health Harms of Industrial Agriculture, published on the website of  the National Institute of Environmental Health Science

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Abstract

The industrial agriculture system consumes fossil fuel, water, and topsoil at unsustainable rates. It contributes to numerous forms of environmental degradation, including air and water pollution, soil depletion, diminishing biodiversity, and fish die-offs. Meat production contributes disproportionately to these problems, in part because feeding grain to livestock to produce meat--instead of feeding it directly to humans--involves a large energy loss, making animal agriculture more resource intensive than other forms of food production. The proliferation of factory-style animal agriculture creates environmental and public health concerns, including pollution from the high concentration of animal wastes and the extensive use of antibiotics, which may compromise their effectiveness in medical use. At the consumption end, animal fat is implicated in many of the chronic degenerative diseases that afflict industrial and newly industrializing societies, particularly cardiovascular disease and some cancers. In terms of human health, both affluent and poor countries could benefit from policies that more equitably distribute high-protein foods. The pesticides used heavily in industrial agriculture are associated with elevated cancer risks for workers and consumers and are coming under greater scrutiny for their links to endocrine disruption and reproductive dysfunction. In this article we outline the environmental and human health problems associated with current food production practices and discuss how these systems could be made more sustainable.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (571K).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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How sustainable agriculture can address the environmental and human health harms of industrial agriculture.

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The industrial agriculture system consumes fossil fuel, water, and topsoil at unsustainable rates. It contributes to numerous forms of environmental degradation, including air and water pollution, soil depletion, diminishing biodiversity, and fish die-offs.

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U.S. National Association of Local Boards of Health

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U.K.

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Are you sick of hearing that Britain has the best animal welfare in the world? We are ...

Viva!'s investigators have shone a light into every recess of factory farming in Britain and what we have found may shock you. The institutionalised abuse of animals does not just happen abroad it happens on Britain's factory farms, too, and often by the biggest names. What our shocking short film will show you is exactly what happens behind closed doors to keep the shelves stocked with meat, eggs and dairy.

In Britain today, most chickens, ducks and turkeys are factory farmed in massive industrial sheds. Very few ever go outside and are killed at just weeks or months old. Viva!'s undercover footage shows that free-range farming is often a lie and is now so intensive that it is often indistinguishable from factory farming. Millions of male chicks are gassed or thrown alive into electric mincers because they are the wrong sex to lay eggs.

The majority of sows in Britain are confined to crates so small they can't even turn around for five weeks at a time. Most of their baby piglets are painfully mutilated without anaesthetic.

Dairy cows suffer the dual burden of being pregnant and milked - as well as having her baby taken away from her year on year so people can drink her milk. If her baby is the wrong sex to produce milk then the chances are he will be shot in the head at a few days old. His mother will be sent to the slaughterhouse at around 5 years old as soon as she is no longer profitable. Goats and other animals farmed for their milk suffer mutilations and confinement.

How do we know? We've filmed it all on British farms. And now you can see the truth for yourself with Viva!'s Cruel Britannia film.

Cruel Britannia features footage from some of the biggest UK names in meat and dairy production. Including Cadbury's (milk); Happy Eggs; Bernard Matthews (turkeys); Gressingham Foods (ducks); Delamere Dairies (goat's milk); Faccenda (chickens) and more.

What can I do?

Go vegan (or at least take steps and move in that direction). Modern animal farming can only exist by sustaining these practices. Do not give them your custom

Get active. Fight factory farming

Donate
Join Viva!
Share this film. Ask others to watch it and make up their own minds.

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Cruel Britannia: Life and Death on UK Factory Farms

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Viva!'s investigators have shone a light into every recess of factory farming in Britain and what we have found may shock you. The institutionalised abuse of animals does not just happen abroad it happens on Britain's factory farms, too, and often by the biggest names.

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Slaughterhouse

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Undercover video recorded by an animal rights activist at one of the largest U.S. pork producers appears to show pigs being beaten and dragged across the slaughterhouse floor as workers cheer and throw blood-soaked towels at one another.

An edited version of the video, posted to YouTube on Wednesday, shows pigs covered in feces and riddled with puss-filled sores headed for the production line. It also shows numerous pigs that appear to be conscious and shaking in pain as they are being slaughtered. Federal law requires livestock to be stunned before they are killed.

"That one was definitely alive," one male employee, whose face is intentionally blurred in the video, shouts as pig carcasses move down a conveyor belt. "If USDA is around, they could shut us down," a man who appears to be the same employee says later, referring to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which regulates meat processors.

The video was taken inside Quality Pork Processors, in Austin, Minnesota by an investigator for animal rights nonprofit Compassion Over Killing some time this year. QPP supplies more than half of the "fresh pork raw material needs" for Hormel, the maker of Spam and other processed meat products, according to QPP's website.

The animal rights group has given "many hours" of raw video to the USDA and local authorities, and has met with federal investigators to assist in the investigation, Erica Meier, executive director of Compassion Over Killing, told HuffPost.

"The actions depicted in the video under review are completely unacceptable, and if we can verify the video's authenticity, we will aggressively investigate the case and take appropriate action," USDA spokesman Adam Tarr said.

Tarr said federal inspectors were on duty at the plant, but the video was likely taken out of their view. "Had these actions been observed by the inspectors, they would have resulted in immediate regulatory action against the plant," Tarr added.

Nate Jansen, QPP's vice president of human resources and quality services, told HuffPost that the company's own video monitoring system had already been "flagged" for something appearing on the Compassion Over Killing footage, and an employee was disciplined for an unspecified violation of company policy. A second employee also was disciplined with a written warning and order to undergo retraining, according to The Associated Press.

"We had already taken disciplinary action" before being made aware of the animal rights group's video, Jansen said.

Jansen, said the edited version of the Compassion Over Killing video posted to YouTube fails to tell the whole story. The company has "hundreds of people" and "multiple interventions" to stop contamination from entering the food supply, he said.

"If you look at them as a full sequence, with the handling, you will see those animals were handled according to acceptable regulations and policies and our own internal procedures," Jansen said. "I've got complete trust in the foods that we produce."

Compassion Over Killing's Meier rejected the criticism that video editing distorted the YouTube version.

"Our video speaks for itself," Meier said. "We documented excessive beating, shocking, improper stunning, and dragging of animals."

Meier said the group's investigator applied for a job at QPP and worked there for several months. The investigator only worked with live animals during the last three weeks of employment, Meier said.

QPP is one of five pork processors that participate in a federal pilot program called Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point-Based Inspection Models Project, or HIMP. Launched by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service in the 1990s, HIMP is designed to produce a "flexible, more efficient, fully integrated" meat and poultry inspection system that allows a plant like QPP's to take more responsibility for carcass inspection, which used to be overseen by government employees.

The idea is to allow USDA inspectors to focus more on food safety and other consumer protections, according to the Food Safety and Information Service. USDA says the process is effective.

But animal rights groups, including Compassion Over Killing, say the program reduces government oversight and allows for high-speed slaughter, which the group says kills about 1,300 pigs per hour.

"That means this facility operates at faster line speeds than almost any other facility in the U.S.," Compassion Over Killing said in a statement describing the video. "The excessive slaughter line speed forces workers to take inhumane shortcuts that lead to extreme suffering for millions of pigs. It also jeopardizes food safety for consumers."

According to the federal Humane Slaughter Act, livestock must be completely sedated and "rendered insensible to pain" before slaughter.

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Undercover Slaughterhouse Video Appears To Show Pigs Conscious, Shaking In Pain

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Undercover video recorded by an animal rights activist at one of the largest U.S. pork producers appears to show pigs being beaten and dragged across the slaughterhouse floor as workers cheer and throw blood-soaked towels at one another.

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Smithfield

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Undercover at Smithfield Foods (2012 Webby Award Winner)

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Murphy's Law
For Murphy, good government means good business

Article published in 1996 about U.S. hog farmer and politician and senator Wendell Murphy who in the Eighties initiated new laws for industrial farming in congress.

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Counties trying to deal with odor can't use their zoning authority. The biggest of the hog operations are more like factories than farms, with a row of climate-controlled buildings containing 10,000 or more hogs being fed and watered by machines.

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WHO on consumption of red meat and processed meat in relation to cancer

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Bird flu

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Published online 12 September 2005 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news050912-1

News

News@nature.com keeps tabs on the situation, day-to-day.

Experts warn that a human bird flu pandemic is still a threat.Â© Punchstock

Bird flu has wreaked havoc on much of Asia in recent years. Millions of birds have been culled to prevent the spread of the disease, but by the middle of 2005, some 50 people had died from bird flu. Given fears that the virus will mutate to a more contagious form, experts continue to warn of the potential for a full-blown pandemic, much like the 1918 flu epidemic. Here news@nature.com keeps tabs on the situation from day to day.

For a full timeline reaching back to 1890, and monthly summaries of events, click here.

23 December 2005 The Indonesian government may grant a stay of execution to a US military research unit in Jakarta that is a key player in the fight against avian flu. Earlier this month it was revealed that the government had ordered the US Naval Medical Research Unit No. 2 (NAMRU-2) to cease all research activities by 31 December on the grounds that the 1970 agreement creating the centre had expired (see ' Avian flu centre put under threat of closure')

Following talks between Namru-2 and the health ministry, however, the government is to assess the centre's research projects on a case-by-case basis, and may grant them extensions to continue beyond the 31 December deadline, pending negotiation by the US and Indonesian governments of a new agreement on the centre's future.

21 December 2005 Two patients in Vietnam have died after failing to respond to the drug Tamiflu. An additional two patients who did respond to the treatment nevertheless succumbed to the disease. The cases, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine today, suggest that the H5N1 virus is mutating and becoming resistant to the drug. The lead researcher described the findings as "very worrying" but not surprising. Researchers again note that it would be a good idea to stockpile more than one type of drug against the flu.

5 December 2005 Ukraine is fighting a large outbreak of bird flu, with around 2,000 domestic birds dead in six villages on the Crimean peninsula, in the Black Sea. The army are enforcing a cull of all poultry in the area, and providing villagers with vaccinations against human flu to increase their resistance to bird varieties.

Tests by the agriculture ministry showed the virus was of the H5 subtype, and samples of the strain have been sent to the UK and Italy to determine whether it is the deadly H5N1 strain already detected in two of Ukraine's neighbours, Russia and Romania. The villages are all near Lake Sivash, a large lagoon by the Azov Sea visited by birds migrating between Russia and Africa or the Middle East.

President Victor Yushchenko declared a state of emergency in the area and dismissed his chief veterinary officer, blaming him for an initially slow response to the outbreak. Officials report the cull began just a day after the first dead birds were reported, but locals have told reporters the disease has been killing their birds since September.

25 November 2005 On 23 November, a report appeared on ProMED, a medical alert website, that Masato Tashiro, head of virology at the National Institute of Infectious Disease in Tokyo, "believes that China has had 300 human deaths from avian influenza and [China] is hiding the true extent of the disease from the rest of the world". The story appeared originally in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and was based on a talk given by Tashiro at the University of Marburg.

The report was rapidly denied by Tashiro, who posted to ProMED a note saying that the first story "is not correct".

Tashiro wrote that in his talk he merely pointed out that the World Heath Organization's official numbers of H5N1 human cases in China include only those that have been confirmed in a laboratory - and they may be an underestimate, since the surveillance system in China is poor. Tashiro notes that he discussed some of the rumoured cases but adds he does "not think that the Chinese Authority will conceal the facts from the world".

News@nature.com was not able to contact anyone who attended the talk for comment.

21 November 2005 Officials in Canada say that two wild ducks found dead in Manitoba last week were infected with an H5N1 avian influenza virus.

But they point out that the virus is not the same as the virulent H5N1 variety currently rampaging through domestic poultry in Asia and causing human deaths.

The H5N1 virus identified in the Canadian ducks is not an immediate threat, say officials. It does not spread quickly between birds, and there are no reports that it has ever jumped into humans.

The difference lies in the molecular make-up of the two viruses. Although the proteins on the surface of the Canadian and Asian viruses - H (haemaglutanin) and N (neuraminidase) - are of the same type, the genes inside the viruses are not the same.

16 November 2005 China's Ministry of Health today confirmed three human cases of bird flu, after much speculation about some patients with avian-influenza-like symptoms.

The announcement, which provided no further details, was posted on the web site of Xinhua, China's official news agency.

15 November 2005 China announced today that it will carry out a massive poultry vaccination campaign - potentially the biggest ever seen - to combat the spread of bird flu.

Jia Youling, chief veterinary officer in the Agriculture Ministry, told the official New China News Agency that China's entire stock of poultry, including 14 billion chickens, ducks and geese, could be subject to the vaccination.

It isn't clear how China would be able to accomplish such a massive vaccination programme, or whether they are capable of producing that much vaccine. Officials later clarified that some large-scale industrial poultry farms could be exempted if they could isolate their stocks and prove they are free of disease. But China is packed with many smaller, back-yard farms.

There have been no officially confirmed cases of human H5N1 infection in China, although several people have fallen ill with symptoms that match the disease. The WHO has dispatched six people to China to help determine the cause of these illnesses.

11 November 2005 Everyone knows that the bird flu virus is more deadly than the usual winter flu. But researchers are just starting to get the full picture of how and why the H5N1 virus proves so lethal.

A study published today details the inflammatory response induced by H5N1 in human lung cells. Michael Chan of the University of Hong Kong and his colleagues looked at levels of pro-inflammatory proteins called 'cytokines' and 'chemokines' in cells cultured in the lab.

When the lung cells were infected with a seasonal flu virus, levels of a particular chemokine (IP-10) reached 200 picograms per millilitre. But the levels of chemokine reached ten times that - roughly 2,000 picograms - when infected with H5N1. The findings appear in the journal Respiratory Research.

Previous research has also shown that the avian flu virus increases production of pro-inflammatory proteins in other cells.

9 November 2005 A man has died in Vietnam of the H5N1 virus. Since mid-December 2004, Vietnam has reported 65 cases, of which 22 were fatal.

The newly confirmed case coincides with a recurrence of outbreaks in poultry.

7 November 2005 From 7-9 November, more than 400 animal and human health experts, senior policy-makers, economists and industry representatives are gathering in Geneva to work towards a strategy to control the H5N1 virus in domestic animals and prepare for a potential human influenza pandemic.

Experts warn that a human bird flu pandemic is still a threat.Â© Punchstock

The meeting is co-organized by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Bank.

It will focus initially on controlling the virus in birds. But experts will also discuss how to strengthen disease surveillance, detection and response.

7 November 2005 The Ministry of Health in Indonesia has confirmed two additional cases of human infection with H5N1 avian influenza: a 19-year-old woman from Tangerang, near Jakarta, and her 8-year-old brother.

The woman developed symptoms on 19 October, and died in hospital on 28 October. Her brother was admitted to hospital on 25 October but remains in good condition. The boy lives in an area with sick chickens, and the woman is known to have visited him there.

Indonesia has confirmed 9 cases of human H5N1 infection to date, of which 5 have been fatal.

4 November 2005 Nature Medicine 's news editor, Apoorva Mandavilli, was in China in late October. She sends us this report on bird flu.

To test whether a chicken is healthy, the vendors hold it upside down and check its rear for pinkness.Credit: Marc Lipsitch

It all begins in Asia. That's the recurring theme in the countless stories that, probably like you, I've been reading the past few months. But none of it really hit home till last week when I was in China, where I got to see people and poultry mingling uncomfortably close.

At one street market in Shanghai, a few blocks west of the city's famed Yuyuan Gardens, vendors piled plucked chickens next to stalls of vegetables, fruit and fried insects. The sheer volume of unidentifiable creatures and creature-parts was bizarre enough. But truly frightening was how the vendors handled the birds.

To test whether a chicken is healthy, the vendors hold it upside down and check its rear for pinkness. And to do that, they have to remove any debris out of the way. Most of the time, that just means blowing on the area - and that, of course, sends whatever is on the chicken's rear end flying in all directions. "It's basically a great way to aerosolize a fecally transmitted virus," says Marc Lipsitch, with the departments of epidemiology and immunology & infectious diseases, at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.

Lipsitch, who had gone to a similar (perhaps the same) market a couple of days earlier, was a bit braver than I was and got close enough to take pictures. On the plus side, he says, the vendors seemed to be wetting the birds before plucking them, and killing them before slitting their necks - actions that prevent the feathers and blood from scattering everywhere and hopefully limit virus transmission.

Washing birds might help to limit the transmission of any viruses.Credit: Marc Lipsitch

There have been recent reports that the Chinese government is regulating the sale of chickens. And at one market I went to, there were no chickens in sight. But when the Chinese person I was with began inquiring about chickens, one vendor quickly pulled one out from underneath the table-and just as quickly put it back, yelling at us, when she spotted the camera in my hand.

Educating not just these vendors, but everyone who handles chickens, is a monumental task. Just the number of non-commercial backyard chickens in china has been estimated by some to be a staggering 10 billion. And that provides far too many chances to do things the wrong way.

Apoorva Mandavilli

3 November 2005 It seems that researchers are taking steps to help the current stocks of Tamiflu go further. Plans are now being made for a clinical trial of probenecid as a drug-sparing strategy with Tamiflu, Nature has learnt (see ' Wartime tactic doubles power of scarce bird-flu drug').

Mark Holodniy, director of the Public Health Research and Consultation Program at the US Department of Veterans Affairs and a medical professor at Stanford University, has submitted a protocol proposal to the US Department of Veterans Affairs and the US Food and Drug Administration. The FDA, as a matter of policy, would not comment on the issue or how long it generally takes submissions to be processed.

Declan Butler

1 November 2005

Experts warn that a human bird flu pandemic is still a threat.Â© Punchstock

Research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals a potentially faster way to make vaccines against bird flu.

The idea could save about a week's worth of work, the BBC reports, in a process expected to take about six months. While that might not sound like a lot, every little bit of help could make a difference in the event of a pandemic.

Scientists currently use a process called 'reverse genetics' to make an altered version of an offending virus - disabling it enough so that it does not cause disease, while leaving enough of the virus in tact to prompt an immune system response. The altered viral DNA is then seeded into cells, such as monkey kidney cells or human cells, and this is then grown up in chicken eggs to produce large enough numbers for a vaccine dose.

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, working with colleagues from the University of Tokyo, now say the process of seeding can be made more efficient. By bundling different bits of viral RNA together into a single plasmid - a chunk of DNA that can help transfer genes between cells - they made the process of introducing viral RNA into incubating cells (in this case monkey cells) much simpler ( G. Neumann, K. Fujii, Y. Kino and Y. Kawaoka Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, doi:10.1073/pnas.0505587102 ).

But experts caution that the next steps often take the most amount of time: growing the altered viruses up in bulk in chicken eggs and getting them trialled are often the biggest barriers to production, they say.

26 October 2005 Croatia has fallen victim to the H5N1 strain of bird flu, with the virus killing swans in a park.

Meanwhile, the death of 500 additional chickens and ducks in China has spurred another cull of birds in that country.

26 October 2005 Experts caution that a widely published map of the flyways of migratory birds, published in a recent FAO report ' Wild birds and Avian Influenza' and elsewhere, has limited relevance to avian flu. The map shows flyways of a particular type of bird called waders, says Jan Veen, a biologist at Wetlands International. But the birds that are of greatest concern belong to the Anatidae family of ducks, geese and swans, he says. Waders don't tend to carry flu as often as Anatidae birds, nor do they tend to come into contact with humans.

For a map of the migration route of a more relevant bird, the Garganey duck, see ' Migration threatens to send flu south '.

Researchers add that the best way to assess the risk of migratory birds spreading the virus is to look at the flyways of individual species, and even populations, to get a handle on which birds, and how many, are flying where. Experts also need to factor in aspects of bird virology, bird behaviour, and whether individual flyways coincide with concentrations of poultry farms.

The European Commission has made a start on this. Last month it published a hit list of 15 species that it reckons pose the greatest threat to Europe.

Veen, who made this list, says he took many factors into account. Species with larger migratory populations, such as the 3.4 million Northern Lapwings, got a higher risk rating. And species whose behaviour patterns bring them into contact with human activities, such as mallard ducks, also got a risk boost.

This is only an initial assessment, which will need continual refinement, emphasizes Veen. "The danger is that when you make something very preliminary and you show it to politicians, it goes all over the world."

Declan Butler

24 October 2005 British officials have confirmed that a South American parrot that died in a quarantine unit in southern England on 16 October was infected with the H5N1 strain. This is the first confirmed appearance of the virus in Western Europe, and has prompted calls for the transporting of exotic birds to cease until the current pandemic fears die down.

The parrot, which came from Surinam in South America, is thought to have contracted flu after being caged with some 216 birds from Taiwan, where the strain is believed to be endemic. There is no suspicion that the virus has spread as far as South America.

The fact that the incident occurred in a quarantine unit, where all birds that came into contact with the parrot are now being tested and destroyed, will reassure those fearful that the virus could escape into wild or domestic populations in Western Europe. But others argue that quarantine measured should be tightened further to avoid birds from Southeast Asia having any contact with those from elsewhere. And epidemiologists point out that a blanket ban on bird imports will fuel the illegal trafficking of exotic birds - already the third-largest black market in the European Union after guns and drugs.

There is also, as yet, no sign that the H5N1 strain is swapping genes with other influenza viruses to make it easily transmissible between humans. Continuing strict quarantine measures will stop the virus spreading into other species where this process might be hastened.

18 October 2005 Panic demand for drugs against bird flu has driven up prices and put drugs on public auction sites such as eBay.

EBay reportedly pulled the sale of the flu drug Tamiflu from its web site on Tuesday, after prices hit more than $174 for a packet of the drug. "The Tamiflu listings on eBay.co.uk were removed from the site as soon as we became aware of them," said a company spokeswoman in a statement. "We do not permit the listing of any controlled drug or item that requires a prescription."

Private prescriptions for Tamiflu can cost about $50 in Europe but national governments have purchased stockpiles of the medicine for less.

Swiss drug maker Roche Holding has urged consumers not to buy Tamiflu over the Internet, to avoid the risk of purchasing counterfeit pills. And recent research has highlighted that the drug should be taken under controlled conditions to avoid nurturing resistant versions of the virus (see ' Researchers call for more bird flu drugs' ).

In the meantime, the Indian pharmaceutical company Cipla Ltd has started laboratory tests on a generic version of Tamiflu. Pressure is mounting on Roche to allow such companies to market generic versions of the drug, though Roche has said it would probably take two to three years for another company to ramp up production of such a drug.

17 October 2005 The bird virus in Romania was finally confirmed as H5N1 over the weekend. A second outbreak has also been reported in the country, 60 km from the first one.

In Turkey, more information is currently being requested of the Turkish authorities concerning a second possible outbreak located at the borderline with Iran.

14 October 2005 Virus samples from dead birds in Romania have still yet to be confirmed as H5N1 thanks to delays at customs. The European Commission released a statement today saying the dispatch of the samples to the Community Reference Laboratory has been held up thanks to customs procedures that come into play for the transport of 'dangerous material'.

Results are not expected until Saturday afternoon.

14 October 2005 A committee investigating the risk of a bird flu pandemic met at the UK House of Lords yesterday. Jan Slingenberg of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said there is "near certainty" that the Romanian cases are the feared virus. "The avian H5N1 virus has now entered Europe," he said.

The new cases seem to confirm that the virus is being spread by migrating birds, Slingenberg said. The confirmed H5N1 cases in Turkey were on a turkey farm where birds lived outside and could potentially have come into contact with migrating waterfowl. Birds including ducks, geese and swans are known to be effective carriers of the virus and often migrate or routinely travel large distances.

Such birds are expected to migrate past Turkey to northern Africa this winter, which could potentially spread the virus. But while bird migration patterns from that part of the world steer clear of Western Europe, the appearance of H5N1 on their doorstep has caused officials to increase their preparedness for possible further spread of the virus.

In the UK from Monday, researchers will start testing wild birds for the virus, including birds being tagged for research and those shot for recreation. EU experts are expected to issue advice on how to keep farmed animals out of contact with wild birds, and on the risks for people that come into contact with migratory birds.

13 October 2005 The H5N1 virus has hit Europe.

The European Commission will hold emergency meetings this afternoon and tomorrow, following confirmation of H5N1 in birds in Turkey and a virus of type H5 in Romania. In a statement the commission said that analysis of samples from Turkey suggested that the virus was "closely related" to the virus from this summer's outbreak in central Asia.

Experts on avian influenza and migratory birds will meet tomorrow to assess the risk posed by migratory birds in spreading H5N1 in Europe, and measures to avoid risk for humans.

12 October 2005 A San Diego entrepreneur may ruffle feathers with a line of avian flu-themed clothing. Among the offerings: a 'Bird Flu Tour' T-shirt and baseball caps sporting the logo 'Pandemic Fever - Catch It!' The self-proclaimed non-profit website says that the business person in question is "not a freak", but "just fairly concerned with the looming spectre of pandemic. This is an attempt, in a slightly humorous (and slightly dark) way, to better get the word out." H5N1 wear

10 October 2005 Fears that H5N1 bird flu has reached Europe are intensifying with apparent outbreaks in Turkey and Romania.

More than 1,000 birds died in a farm in Turkey, leading officials to cull other birds near that village. And a Romanian village in the Danube delta, which is a stopover for migratory birds from Asia, was quarantined after 36 birds died.

But it has not yet been confirmed that these birds had avian influenza. And, if so, whether it is the same H5 strain that has hit Asia.

The European Commission has announced a ban on all imports of live birds and feathers from Turkey into the European Union.

7 October 2005 Delegates from 80 nations and international agencies began a meeting in Washington DC on Thursday to formulate the best way to fight bird flu.

"The world is clearly unprepared, or inadequately prepared, for a pandemic of H5N1 influenza," US Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt told the meeting.

The meeting was convened by US officials, who have become increasingly concerned about the epidemic, and are trying to wrest high-level political commitments for cooperation and transparency from other nations.

An HHS official speaking on condition of anonymity yesterday said that the United States is concerned that the world could see a repeat of the SARS epidemic, in which data about the emergence of the virus was tightly controlled by Chinese officials, hampering international response to the disease. US officials have already been criticized about their willingness to share information about avian flu samples kept by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Everyone at the US meeting, sponsored by the State Department, agreed in principle to share information quickly to allow health experts study and contain the virus. Now, said officials, it is critical to make sure they actually do so.

President George Bush is also expected to meet today with flu vaccine makers. And Secretary Leavitt is expected to travel to Asia tomorrow to meet with leaders in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Indonesia.

30 September 2005 The 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has signed up for a three-year plan to curb bird flu. The regional framework doles out responsibilities for key tasks to different countries: it calls for Thailand to lead surveillance and diagnosis, Malaysia to take charge of containment and emergency measures, Indonesia to lead strategic vaccination initiatives, the Philippines to encourage public awareness, and Singapore to ensure proper information sharing.

The ASEAN ministers also agreed to create "disease-free" zones in bird flu-infected countries to hasten the resumption of chicken exports from the region to Japan and other countries.

Together they have pledged an initial US$2 million in seed money for their regional fund.

29 September 2005 In Indonesia, there are vast numbers of "suspected" cases of avian flu. On Thursday, Reuters reported ministry officials saying more than 50 cases were being investigated in hospitals, after a fourth confirmed case of H5N1 in September intensified surveillance efforts and heightened public concern.

Such symptoms are typical of many other diseases, however, in particular dengue fever, so many of these cases may turn out not to have bird flu.

The US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and MedImmune have decided to jointly develop vaccines against bird flu.

The project aims to develop at least one vaccine for each of 16 known variations of a key influenza surface protein called haemagglutinin. This is the protein represented by the letter 'H' in bird flu virus names, as in H5N1.

Human influenza viruses are usually of the H1, H2 and H3 varieties. Potential pandemic viruses would likely contain one of the others, to which humans have never been exposed. Recent bird flu viruses of note have been H5 and H7, and H5 will be a high priority for the research team.

The scientists will add selected genes from avian flu viruses with pandemic potential into a weakened human flu virus to create weakened, live virus vaccine candidates.

It will probably take years to succeed. No bird flu vaccines have yet proven successful in low doses.

26 September 2005 The international community has so far come up with just $20 million of the $100 million needed for a 3-year plan to control avian flu in animals, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization warned today.

The estimate for the amount needed comes from the Global Strategy for the Progressive Control of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, which was agreed in May 2005 by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Animal Health Organization (OIE), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO). The money would go to reinforcing veterinary surveillance and laboratories, to keep emerging diseases in check.

But so far, countries have pledged just $16.5 million: Germany ($6 million), Switzerland ($4 million), the United States ($6 million) and Japan ($0.5 million). The FAO has put in $2 million itself.

23 September 2005 Representatives from the financial services industry received a briefing today in New York from avian flu experts, who hope that the private sector will take the initiative to prepare for a pandemic.

The event, coordinated by the Center for Biosecurity, a not-for-profit organization based at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, also involved talks from current and former government officials.

"We don't need any spies to tell us about the pandemic that's coming," noted James Pavitt, the former deputy director of operations of the US Central Intelligence Agency.

If - or as many experts say, when - a pandemic hits, small countries will face the biggest economic challenge, said Robert Shapiro, who served as the US undersecretary of commerce and economic affairs in the late 1990s. He added that because the pandemic would likely strike in waves rather than a single hit, businesses will suffer from severe absenteeism and an uncertain financial climate.

What can companies do to keep the economy running and avoid a breakdown of commerce under such circumstances? Isaac Weisfuse, who leads New York city's pandemic flu planning as deputy commissioner the Division of Disease Control, urged businesses to build up the technical capacity to let employees telecommute. Should a pandemic strike and vital services such as transportation shut down, these people could continue working from home. "We're not stuck in 1918 is my mantra," he told listeners, referring to the year that a Spanish flu killed millions of people.

22 September 2005 Two studies published in The Lancet spell more bad news for the prospect of preventing and treating a pandemic flu outbreak, which would likely be started by a bird flu.

The first study finds that resistance to two antiviral drugs, amantadine and rimantidine, is rampant around the world. The authors studied genetic sequences of flu strains isolated during the past decade. They found that resistance has skyrocketed since the mid-90s, especially during the past two years: 84% of all viruses sequenced since 2003 bear the telltale signature of drug resistance. Public health officials already knew that resistance is a problem with these older drugs, and have been stockpiling newer drugs as a result. But the authors of The Lancet survey , led by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, say their work should definitively silence anyone who thought these drugs might be a cheap alternative to prevent pandemic strains of flu from spreading.

The second paper is perhaps more worrying, because it throws up concerns about vaccines, our surest line of defense against pandemic flu. The report finds that flu vaccines are not very effective in elderly people who live outside nursing homes. The authors, based at the Cochrane Vaccines Field in Rome, analysed 15 studies, and found that taken together, the studies found that flu vaccines were not significantly effective for preventing flu, flu-like illness or pneumonia in people 65-years-old and older who don't live in nursing homes. The vaccines seemed to work better in populations that live in long-term care facilities. It's not entirely clear why. But in the face of the data, the authors suggest that public health officials concentrate vaccination efforts on nursing homes - and mix up a more effective vaccine for the remaining elderly, who are one of the most vulnerable populations in flu epidemics. Figuring out why these vaccines are not effective in older people might contribute to better vaccine design for pandemic influenza, too.

21 September 2005 Vietnam state officials say they will begin stockpiling the anti-viral drug Tamiflu, importing some 600,000 tablets before the winter hits. They also plan to boost monitoring at 800 hospitals nationwide, and improve their early detection of cases in humans.

Though there have been no new cases recently reported in Vietnam, the government this week retrospectively confirmed a fatal case of H5N1 that struck in July 2005. This brings the confirmed number of cases in Vietnam since mid-December 2004 to 64 cases, 21 of which were fatal.

19 September 2005 Three children have been hospitalized in Jakarta, Indonesia, with suspected avian flu. Two of them have tested positive in preliminary tests for the H5N1 virus.

On 16 September, Indonesia's health ministry confirmed that a 37-year-old woman who died in the capital on 10 September was positive for H5N1, bringing the country's death total to four from the disease.

Meanwhile, the Ragunan Zoo zoo in Souther Jakarta has been closed for three weeks as of today, after the death over the weekend of 19 exotic birds, including eagles, mynahs, peacocks, and pigmy chickens.

15 September 2005 The United States today bolstered its stockpile of countermeasures against an H5N1 influenza pandemic. Health secretary Mike Leavitt announced that they have bought $100 million worth of pandemic influenza vaccine from Sanofi Pasteur, and 84,300 treatment courses of the anti-viral drug zanamivir (Relenza) from GlaxoSmithKline. They already have a small stockpile of the antiviral drug Tamiflu.

US officials have said they intend to buy enough vaccine to protect 20 million people, and enough drugs to treat 20 million more. It's not clear how many people $100 million worth of vaccine will protect at high doses - earlier this summer, the H5N1 generated a protective immune response in trials with healthy adult volunteers, but only at very high doses (see ' Bird flu vaccine not up to scratch'). US officials are also scrambling to test lower-dose versions of the vaccine.

14 September 2005 In the United States, top scientists plan to meet with heads of the finance industry and White House officials in New York on 23 September for a symposium on Preparing the Financial Industry for a Pandemic .

14 September 2005 President George Bush says he will create "a new international partnership on avian and pandemic influenza". Addressing a high-level UN meeting in New York, Bush gave no details of the proposed coalition, but said that it would "require countries that face an outbreak to immediately share information and provide samples to the World Health Organization". As Nature revealed last May, affected countries are failing, or refusing, to share their human samples with the WHO, the UN agency responsible for coordinating international pandemic flu efforts (see '"Refusal to share' leaves agency struggling to monitor bird flu": http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050509/full/435131a.html ).

13 September 2005 Delegates at the European Influenza Conference largely spent the day pledging money.

Canada reported that it has put aside C$34 million for supporting development of prototype pandemic vaccines.

And Germany reported a fund of €24 million for development of a type of vaccine known as low-antigen, adjuvented, full-virus vaccine. (The inclusion of an adjuvant promotes a stronger immune reaction to the antigen itself and is a favoured strategy in Europe. It should help to protect more people with a limited amount of antigen.)

The European Health Commission also announced a €1 billion fund, which had been approved in early summer, to reimburse member states for expenditure on 'unexpected threats'. The details of who would get paid for what remained unclear to many delegates. But the Commission's general intention was clear: that member states who pledge to buy stockpiles of antivirals, or invest in pandemic vaccine preparedness, will get some level of financial support.

Klaus Stöhr, head of the WHO's Influenza team, warned that preparedness for flu pandemics must also prepare for the distant future. Pandemics come along every few decades. So the best thing would be to develop a single vaccine to protect against all pandemics - along with normal seasonal flu viruses. But there is no money available for the long-term research that would be required for the development of such a vaccine.

Stöhr proposed that European governments should turn as a group to an agency like the World Health Organization to negotiate a single deal with companies for flu vaccines. Such bulk deals should lower the price, said Stöhr, and the money saved could be put into a special fund supporting the development of a general vaccine. There was no public response to this suggestion, which seems to have been discussed in the numerous behind-doors meetings running throughout this congress.

12 September 2005 Scientists at the European Influenza Conference report that the H5N1 virus has become much more virulent and pathogenic since began circulating in 1997. Several mutations are probably implicated, they add - not just changes to the genes encoding the surface haemagluttinin (H) and neuraminidase (N) proteins that give the flu strains their code names, but also the genes encoding internal proteins such as polymerase enzymes. These enzymes control the virus's growth rate; mutations, it seems, can allow growth to far outstrip that which a person's immune system can handle.

The researchers also present improved animal models for flu infections in cats and ferrets, showing how H5N1 can be easily transmitted between animals, infecting the brain and gut as well as the lungs. So far, the more than 100 human cases of H5N1 have not been in a form easily transmitted between people. What molecular changes would be required to make human-to-human transmission as easily as cat-to-cat? That's a crucial question in anticipating a pandemic, and scientists are not close to understanding it.

In gloomy discussions with policy-makers and health workers, scientists broach the contentious subject of who should be first in line for treatment with the scarce supplies of vaccines and drugs such as Tamiflu. The unhappy bottom-line message, as voiced by Claude Hannoun, former head of the Influenza National Reference Centre in France, is: don't expect any vaccine to be available during the first pandemic wave. Governments still need to beef up their national stockpiles of Tamiflu.

It will take 4 to 12 months after identifying the pandemic strain for the first batch of vaccines to appear, by which time the virus will have circled the globe. Scientists have some strategies that could eventually shave a few weeks off different parts of the process, but long-term alternatives to avoid such a delay are not being seriously investigated, they complain. Meanwhile, one company is offering meeting delegates free flu jabs to protect against this year's regular flu strain. Not that they will help against a bird flu pandemic.

11 September 2005 The Second European Influenza Conference opens in Malta. Bird flu experts confirm that the virus is still sweeping its way across the globe, and still threatens to cause a major and deadly human pandemic for which we remain insufficiently prepared.

Conference organizer Albert Osterhaus notes a small recent turning point, however: some governments are at last beginning to take the issue seriously - almost 50 countries now have provided draft pandemic preparedness plans.

11 September 2005 Indonesian authorities have reported what may be the country's fourth victim of avian flu. The 37-year old woman from the country's capital Jakarta died on 10 September. The health minister has said that an initial test was positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus. Samples have been sent to a Hong Kong laboratory for confirmation.

The woman was an immigration official, with little contact with poultry, and the source of infection remains unknown. Health authorities aim to track down and test the woman's contacts.

The first deaths from avian flu in Indonesia were reported in July (see ' Bird flu: crossing borders' ).

26 August 2005 Bird flu spreads to another species: it is confirmed in civets (the animal that famously spread SARS to humans) in Vietnam. Bird flu has previously been found in other mammals, including tigers.

25 August 2005 The president of the British Veterinary Association says that bird flu is "inevitably" going to arrive in the UK. Various European officials have decided that poultry flocks should be brought indoors to prevent the possible transmission of the H5N1 virus from migratory birds. Others say this is not necessary.

7 August 2005 The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) announce preliminary results for a vaccine against H5N1, showing that two large doses should protect adults from infection. But critics point out that the large amounts needed mean the hundreds of millions of doses needed to tackle a pandemic could never be produced.

See Bird flu vaccine not up to scratch

August 2005 Pharmaceutical giant Roche pledges to make three million courses of its anti-viral drug Tamiflu available to the World Health Organization.

August 2005 A Maine biotechnology company that makes vaccines for poultry diseases is fined US$500,000 for smuggling a chicken flu virus into the US. The company hoped to use the virus sample to develop a vaccine.

See Maine company falls a-fowl for smuggling bird flu

August 2005 Poultry flocks in Russia and Kazakhstan are hit by H5N1. A suspected human case is also investigated. The outbreak hints that the disease is moving towards Europe.
Bird flu moves towards Europe
July 2005 At the end of a three-day conference in Malaysia, World Health Organization officials announce that $150 million is needed to fight the spread of the disease in people and another $100 million to stop its spread in animals in Asia.

The Philippines, so far the only Asian country unaffected by bird flu, reports its first case in a town north of the capital, Manila, but officials do not confirm whether it is the H5N1 strain.

June 2005 Indonesia confirms that a man exposed to sick chickens has been infected with a deadly strain of avian flu virus. The man, a farm labourer, shows no symptoms, but his blood carries antibodies against the H5N1 strain.

Bird flu becomes resistant to the low-cost amantadine family of antiviral drugs. Chinese farmers' use of the compound in chickens is blamed, a claim formally denied by Chinese authorities who pledge to investigate the situation.

May 2005 Rumours of human deaths in China from H5N1 remain unconfirmed, while the virus has killed more than 1,000 migratory birds. Indonesia's government confirms reports of H5N1 infection in pigs.

The WHO reports 97 cases and 53 deaths from bird flu in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand since January 2004.

April 2005 Vietnam reports a total of 60 laboratory-confirmed human cases of H5N1 avian flu since the outbreaks began, with 35 deaths. Thailand confirms a total of 17 infections of which 12 have been fatal, whereas Cambodia has confirms two fatal cases.

March 2005 15 additional cases of H5N1 infection in Vietnam, and one additional case in Cambodia, are reported.

Bird flu has spread to 10 countries, including the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and killed around 50 million chickens.

February 2005 First report of a bird flu case from Cambodia.

A report of probable person to person transmission of bird flu in Vietnam is published (New Engl. J. Med. 352, 333-340)

The WHO makes prototype H5N1 vaccine strains available to several institutions and companies, and a range of vaccines is submitted for clinical testing.

January 2005 13 additional cases of bird flu have occurred in Vietnam since December 2004, 12 of which have proved fatal.

For events before 2005, click here

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Published online 12 September 2005 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news050912-1 News News@nature.com keeps tabs on the situation, day-to-day. Experts warn that a human bird flu pandemic is still a threat.Â© Punchstock Bird flu has wreaked havoc on much of Asia in recent years.

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Book review

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Book Review: The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter

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The book is presented as the authors' journey into the homes of three American families whose food choice habits and dietary ethics range from standard convenient (Tyson, Wal-Mart, fast-food) to semi-conscientious ("humanely-produced" meat, dairy and eggs) to ethical vegan (healthful, compassionate, animal-free food).

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Swine flu

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[ Below is the original script. Some changes may have been made during the recording of this audio podcast.]

Amidst the hubbub surrounding the current pandemic threat from swine flu, an epidemiological mystery has been unfolding. Authorities have designated Edgar Hernandez, a five-year-old from La Gloria in the Mexican state of Veracruz as "Patient Zero"-at least he is the earliest case they have found so far. Virologists have determined that the mutating flu is a combination of several older flu strains, commonly associated with pigs. And La Gloria is home to nearly a million pigs on a nearby factory farm.

So is so-called swine flu really just another environmental problem associated with factory farming?

After all, such large operations keep the animals in close confinement, dope them with antibiotics to keep them alive in the crowded conditions and create vast pools and piles of waste-all good ways to promote the spread of any disease.

Other health threats, such as antibiotic-resistant strains of staphylococcus aureus, have emerged from pig farms as well.

Nevertheless, this H1N1 strain has not yet been found in the pigs near La Gloria, nor is it clear how it would have jumped from the factory farm to little Edgar.

But what is clear thanks to the hard work of virologists is that this particular strain of flu got its genetic start on U.S. hog farms back in the 1990s. That's according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. How the virus jumped from pigs to humans may have nothing to do with factory farms, but confined animal feeding operations helped to breed the disease.

-David Biello

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Can Swine Flu Be Blamed on Industrial Farming?

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Below is the original script. Some changes may have been made during the recording of this audio podcast.] Amidst the hubbub surrounding the current pandemic threat from swine flu, an epidemiological mystery has been unfolding. Authorities have designated Edgar Hernandez, a five-year-old from La Gloria in the Mexican state of Veracruz as "Patient Zero"-at least he is the earliest case they have found so far.

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Scientists' concern

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We Need Your Support
to Make Change Happen

We can transform the U.S. agricultural system to prioritize investments in healthy foods and farms -but not without you. Your generous support helps develop science-based solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.

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We can transform the U.S. agricultural system to prioritize investments in healthy foods and farms -but not without you. Your generous support helps develop science-based solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.

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Factory farming divestment

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The fast food chain Subway is latest to join the backlash against antibiotic use in the farm sector. It has launched a new chicken sandwich in the US made with meat from animals raised without antibiotics.

The move is a sign of the growing consumer and business interest in the welfare and environmental impact of animals reared for meat, dairy and eggs, with most of the blame directed at intensive, factory-style farms.

Hoping to echo the success of the fossil fuel divestment movement (which has seen more than 400 institutions commit to pulling money from coal, oil and gas companies to tackle climate change), campaigners are now urging investors to wake up to the financial risk of companies directly and indirectly exposed to harmful practices.

What is it all about?

Intensive or factory farming of livestock is characterised by a large number of the same species of animal raised in closed barns and with their movement restricted. In the US, any farm with more than 1,000 cattle, 2,500 pigs or 125,000 chickens is referred to as a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO). In the EU officials have defined intensive as a farm with more than 40,000 poultry or 2,000 pigs.

Such operations can be damaging for animal health and welfare, as well as our own health through problems such as water pollution and the overuse or misuse of antibiotics.

There are countless organisations working to highlight these issues and urging either government regulation or consumer boycotts. After half a century or more of campaigning, there have been improvements, especially in Europe, but globally, the model of intensive livestock production continues to grow.

At the turn of the century there were an estimated 15 billion livestock in the world, a figure that has now risen to around 24 billion with the majority of chicken, pork and eggs produced on intensive farms.

The emerging divestment movement targets investors who support factory farming either directly through the publicly-listed companies in which they hold stocks or indirectly through other companies that purchase animal-products. The aim is either to get them to engage with companies and pressure them to improve practices, or to move their money away from such companies for good.

Why would investors care?

Companies engaged in factory farming face many risks that could affect their future profits, suggests the campaign group ShareAction. It highlights the increased risk of disease outbreak in intensive farming enterprises; the potential for litigation, bans or fines in relation to water pollution; its reliance on feed inputs with volatile pricing; concerns around staff health and welfare; and the potential for future legislation on methane emissions or antibiotic use.

As standards and expectations from society and regulators continue to rise (see EU legislation on animal welfare), the companies that fail to upgrade their facilities could find themselves stranded by the high cost of conversion. In the US, for example, it is estimated that the meat industry would face additional costs of more than $700m [pdf] if antibiotic rules similar to those in some parts of Europe were introduced.

Companies perceived to have poor welfare standards could face negative repercussions when these concerns are amplified by the media and civil society. A Guardian investigation last year, for example, found that pork sold by several leading British supermarkets had been contaminated with a strain of the superbug MRSA linked to the overuse of powerful antibiotics on factory farms.

Is anyone divesting yet?

Well-known investors including Aviva, Allianz and Alliance Trust have gone public with their concerns about the risks of investing in factory farming operations, calling it a reputational and, potentially, financial concern. There are also investment funds which exclude factory farming companies.

"We had clients that were against factory farming so our guidelines are that we won't invest in companies whose primary business is operating CAFO, such as Tyson Foods or Smithfield Foods," said Steven Heim, director of ESG at Boston Common Asset Management, who cites the methane emissions and antibiotic-use as the biggest risks to investors.

UK-based EdenTree says it has been offering an ethical investment fund that excludes intensive farming companies since 2012. It does not explain how it defines intensive farming or which companies it excludes, but says most are based in the US. "We don't want to invest in companies where the animals are not able to reflect their natural behaviours," said Neville White, head of socially responsible investment at EdenTree, who has also written a briefing note on the issue.

What is the reaction from companies?

A number of food companies, including McDonalds, the sausage producer Noble Foods and Tyson Foods, the largest beef producer in the US, have started to engage in a scheme that rates them on animal welfare. The Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW), set up in part by the NGO Compassion in World Farming, says more than half of the world's leading food companies have now published targets on farm animal welfare.

Investors, such as EdenTree and Boston, say they are now using the ratings to judge and pressure companies to make improvements. "For the first time we are seeing global investors actively engage with companies to encourage them to improve their practices and reporting on farm animal welfare ... [it] provides a strong incentive for companies to improve their disclosure and to account for their performance," said Rory Sullivan from the BBFAW.

More public attempts to get companies to change, aside from recent moves on antibiotics, have had mixed success. In 2008 the celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall tried and failed to get Tesco shareholders to back proposals to improve welfare standards for chickens. In February, shareholders at Tyson Foods voted against a resolution that would have forced it to adopt new rules to reduce risks of water contamination.

In response, Tyson Foods has said it will start disclosing more information about its water management efforts to the not-for-profit CDP that collects and distributes data on corporate environmental impacts. However, it does not yet report its climate data to CDP.

Will it be successful?

The issue is still fairly low on the radar of most investors and certainly does not face the same level of scrutiny as climate change, says ShareAction, despite the links between the two on issues such as methane emissions from livestock.

However, there are other groups lobbying investors, including the Farm Animal Investment Risk and Return (FAIRR) initiative set up last year by the the private equity millionaire Jeremy Coller. Its report on investor risks in December 2015 received widespread coverage, with Coller suggesting companies that ignore the issue will become "the new coal" as they lose appeal with investors.

It is not clear how many investors are actively divesting from factory farming. Most signed up to the FAIRR initiative, including Allianz and Alliance Trust are only committed to engagement. As such, pointing to changes and improvements in ratings such as BBFAW may be the best indicator of success.

Food campaigners appear persuaded by this new investor-led approach.

Dan Crossley, director of the Food Ethics Council, called it a "potentially a powerful lever of change and much quicker than others" adding that only by translating ethical concerns into financial materiality would investors make a change.
Topics

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Factory farming divestment: what you need to know

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The fast food chain Subway is latest to join the backlash against antibiotic use in the farm sector. It has launched a new chicken sandwich in the US made with meat from animals raised without antibiotics.

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Ben Goldsmith

The transition from traditional pig husbandry, "pigmanship," to raising pigs by factory methods began with the invention of industrialized slaughter in the 19th century, but it was only recently that it transformed the way pigs were treated throughout their lives. The most devastating new methods began in the 1960s, and they have changed the way that pigs are raised more thoroughly than any other development in the history of farming. The following timeline charts the growth of industrialized farming from the 1800s to the present day:

1827 - Chicago's first industrial slaughterhouse opens. Slaughtering and butchering animals on assembly lines promotes an approach to farming that views pork as just another factory product and pigs as raw materials.

1879 - The invention of refrigerated boxcars allows animal slaughter to become even more centralized. The scale and speed of industrial slaughter reaches unprecedented proportions and begins to attract the attention of a wave of new "muckraking" journalists who aim to expose hidden social problems.

1906 - Upton Sinclair's famous work of muckraking journalism, The Jungle, documents atrocious conditions in slaughter and processing for the first time. With the phrase "pork-making by applied mathematics," Sinclair captured the cold, cruel logic that was turning pigs into production units:

They had chains which they fastened about the leg of the nearest hog, and the other end of the chain they hooked into one of the rings upon the wheel. So, as the wheel turned, a hog was suddenly jerked off his feet and borne aloft."

At the same instant the ear was assailed by a most terrifying shriek. ... The shriek was followed by another, louder and yet more agonizing. ... And meantime another was swung up, and then another, and another, until there was a double line of them, each dangling by a foot and kicking in a frenzy-and squealing. ... There were high squeals and low squeals, grunts, and wails of agony; there would come a momentary lull, and then a fresh outburst. ...

Meantime, heedless of all these things, the men upon the floor were going about their work. Neither squeals of hogs nor tears of visitors made any difference to them. ...

It was all so very business-like that one watched it fascinated. It was pork-making by machinery, pork-making by applied mathematics."

1960s - Following the lead of the poultry industry, the hog industry makes a rapid shift to industrializing not just slaughter but the rearing of pigs. Farmers close up their pastures and put pigs permanently indoors; a diversity of heritage breeds is replaced by a few genetically engineered animals; veterinary care for individual animals is abandoned in favor of drug-laced feed; and the earthy smell of a well-run farm gives way to a toxic stench that makes breathing difficult.

1970s - By 1978, 90 percent of pigs are raised in some kind of confinement, and by 1979, two-thirds of pigs are in total confinement systems. The hog factory farm has become fully entrenched.

1980s - Smithfield Foods begins an unprecedented rise to dominance in the pork industry, putting thousands of independent pig producers out of business while generating large-scale animal suffering and environmental problems. From 1983 to 2000, Smithfield's revenues increase from $570 million to a stunning $6 billion, while the number of independent hog farmers decreases by 6,000. During roughly that same period, Smithfield moves into North Carolina and increases the state's hog population by almost five times to 9.6 million, while small hog farms decline from more than 9,000 to less than 1,500.

1990s - By the mid-1990s, the backlash against factory farming that began 30 years earlier with animal protection advocates spreads to the business community. Niman Ranch begins to provide traditional hog farmers with a way to stay in business by providing marketing support aimed at conscientious consumers.

2005 - Human Rights Watch conducts a report on working conditions in the industry for the 100th anniversary of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. They find staggering cruelty and indifference, and call conditions in the slaughter industry "the most dangerous" in America for workers.

2007 - Smithfield, under rising pressure from consumer groups and new animal protection laws, takes a small step forward-slightly reducing the intensity of hog confinement for the first time in their history. The company announces that gestation crates (which confine pregnant sows in a space so tight that they cannot turn around) will slowly be phased out. Still, the stranglehold of factory farms on pork production continues.

Today - More than 97 percent of pork comes from factory farms. Niman Ranch-the largest national supplier of pork from pasture-raised pigs-still represents only a minuscule portion of meat sales. The entire company's revenues, including from their cattle and sheep operations, has only now topped $100 million. Niman Ranch's revenues are less than 1 percent of Smithfield's, but even this represents an achievement and a new threat to factory farming.

Moving Farming Forward - The fight against the factory farm has reached unprecedented strength: Businessmen have joined activists; environmental groups such as the Sierra Club and Greenpeace have exposed the evils of factory farming to a wide audience; major research institutions such as the Pew Commission have argued for an end to intensive confinement for the first time; both vegetarians and selective omnivores have swelled in ranks; and animal protection groups have developed sophisticated new corporate campaigns. The cruelty and devastation caused by factory farms is at an all-time high, but so is our resistance. The next years will prove decisive.
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Ben Goldsmith The transition from traditional pig husbandry, "pigmanship," to raising pigs by factory methods began with the invention of industrialized slaughter in the 19th century, but it was only recently that it transformed the way pigs were treated throughout their lives.

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WWW. Factory-farming.com is a pleasant website to start with when you're interested in learning what factory farming is, how it came into existence, and why people oppose it.