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Whether you are a die-hard carnivore or a card-carrying member of an animal welfare organization, this story will affect you. And it ties into work we're doing to demand a fair farm bill that "busts" the meat trusts that built the factory farm system.
Whether you are a die-hard carnivore or a card-carrying member of an animal welfare organization, this story will affect you. And it ties into work we're doing to demand a fair farm bill that "busts" the meat trusts that built the factory farm system.
In Chile, a conflict erupted when local residents escalated months of protests over the smells and pollution emanating from a factory farm in their town. The conflict ended with the facility's employees fleeing--with half a million pigs left there over five days without food or water. The plant has been shut down, and those pigs--the ones that remain--will be slaughtered en masse.
Why were half a million pigs concentrated into this factory in the first place? It's no secret that the U.S. has exported its factory farm model around the world. And U.S. agricultural policies have helped meat processors get even bigger, consolidating meat production in the hands of these few giant players who use animals from factory farms. (Check out our Factory Farm Map to learn more about how meat production has become more consolidated in the U.S.)
Right now, the biggest four meatpackers slaughter four out of five cattle and two out of three hogs in the U.S. These meatpackers--Tyson, Cargill, Smithfield Foods and JBS Swift--use their immense market power to squeeze profits out of independent farmers, pushing them out of business.
Addressing the power of the biggest meatpackers is essential to rebuilding local food systems and putting the brakes on the public health, environmental, and animal welfare problems associated with factory farms. A first step in leveling the playing field for small and mid-sized farmers is to stop meat companies from manipulating the prices they pay for livestock.
That's why we're spreading the word about an amendment to the Senate Farm Bill introduced by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) to ban big meat processors from owning livestock. The "packer ban" amendment is one key policy prescription for helping to reverse the trend towards consolidated factory farms, at least here in the U.S.
Think you can't do anything about factory farms? Think again--and sign our petition telling your Senator to support the Packer Ban amendment to the Farm Bill.
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Whether you are a die-hard carnivore or a card-carrying member of an animal welfare organization, this story will affect you. And it ties into work we're doing to demand a fair farm bill that "busts" the meat trusts that built the factory farm system.
In Chile, a conflict erupted when local residents escalated months of protests over the smells and pollution emanating from a factory farm in their town. The conflict ended with the facility's employees fleeing--with half a million pigs left there over five days without food or water. The plant has been shut down, and those pigs--the ones that remain--will be slaughtered en masse.
Why were half a million pigs concentrated into this factory in the first place? It's no secret that the U.S. has exported its factory farm model around the world. And U.S. agricultural policies have helped meat processors get even bigger, consolidating meat production in the hands of these few giant players who use animals from factory farms. (Check out our Factory Farm Map to learn more about how meat production has become more consolidated in the U.S.)
Right now, the biggest four meatpackers slaughter four out of five cattle and two out of three hogs in the U.S. These meatpackers--Tyson, Cargill, Smithfield Foods and JBS Swift--use their immense market power to squeeze profits out of independent farmers, pushing them out of business.
Addressing the power of the biggest meatpackers is essential to rebuilding local food systems and putting the brakes on the public health, environmental, and animal welfare problems associated with factory farms. A first step in leveling the playing field for small and mid-sized farmers is to stop meat companies from manipulating the prices they pay for livestock.
That's why we're spreading the word about an amendment to the Senate Farm Bill introduced by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) to ban big meat processors from owning livestock. The "packer ban" amendment is one key policy prescription for helping to reverse the trend towards consolidated factory farms, at least here in the U.S.
Think you can't do anything about factory farms? Think again--and sign our petition telling your Senator to support the Packer Ban amendment to the Farm Bill.
Whether you are a die-hard carnivore or a card-carrying member of an animal welfare organization, this story will affect you. And it ties into work we're doing to demand a fair farm bill that "busts" the meat trusts that built the factory farm system.
In Chile, a conflict erupted when local residents escalated months of protests over the smells and pollution emanating from a factory farm in their town. The conflict ended with the facility's employees fleeing--with half a million pigs left there over five days without food or water. The plant has been shut down, and those pigs--the ones that remain--will be slaughtered en masse.
Why were half a million pigs concentrated into this factory in the first place? It's no secret that the U.S. has exported its factory farm model around the world. And U.S. agricultural policies have helped meat processors get even bigger, consolidating meat production in the hands of these few giant players who use animals from factory farms. (Check out our Factory Farm Map to learn more about how meat production has become more consolidated in the U.S.)
Right now, the biggest four meatpackers slaughter four out of five cattle and two out of three hogs in the U.S. These meatpackers--Tyson, Cargill, Smithfield Foods and JBS Swift--use their immense market power to squeeze profits out of independent farmers, pushing them out of business.
Addressing the power of the biggest meatpackers is essential to rebuilding local food systems and putting the brakes on the public health, environmental, and animal welfare problems associated with factory farms. A first step in leveling the playing field for small and mid-sized farmers is to stop meat companies from manipulating the prices they pay for livestock.
That's why we're spreading the word about an amendment to the Senate Farm Bill introduced by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) to ban big meat processors from owning livestock. The "packer ban" amendment is one key policy prescription for helping to reverse the trend towards consolidated factory farms, at least here in the U.S.
Think you can't do anything about factory farms? Think again--and sign our petition telling your Senator to support the Packer Ban amendment to the Farm Bill.