Largest Pork Producer in US exposed

​worldanimalnews.com/breaking-dxe-investigation-finds-pigs-with-infections-disease-at-smithfield-foods-the-largest-pork-producer-in-the-u-s/

SHOCKER ALERT! The largest producer of pork in the United States was exposed for having some of the most abhorrent conditions for pigs / piglets ever documented. Smithfield Foods, the largest pork producer in the US was exposed for having conditions that were unethical, cruel, and completely opposite what their message of animal welfare standards claimed to be which should come as no surprise to us by now. Factory farms simply don't care about animals and even when they come out and claim to have exemplary animal standards, they are often lying and hiding behind laws that prevent activists from exposing the truth. 

North Carolina's ag-gag law prevents activists from videotaping and exposing atrocities that happen in these establishments and those who do, find themselves with criminal charges. In fact, a 2018 undercover expose of the Smithfield farm has seen several activists currently facing felony charges for their participation. With that being said, what was exposed was absolutely horrific. Direct Action Everywhere (DXE) published those results of the investigation and not surprisingly, there were some horrific things documented behind those walls.

Among the things documented, the use of gestation crates was alarming as it goes against what the company has publicly committed to. Gestation crates are horrendously cruel, confining mother pigs to spaces they cannot even move in denying them any physical interaction with their babies aside from feeding. These crates put immense emotional and mental stress on mother pigs especially when you consider the other things documented on this report regarding the piglets.

Piglets were found to be suffering from a variety of antibiotic resistant infections and sores. In fact, there were instances of open wounds left untreated that were undoubtedly infected and extremely painful for the piglets. Mass pharmaceutical usage was also a documented issue which implies that the "pork" people were receiving from this company was tainted with antibiotics and other medicines and hormones. Several piglets were rescued with serious staph infections along with a piglet that died along the way to the vet that suffered evident blunt force trauma to the head. Nearly everything that was documented was disturbing and against the general populations desires for animal welfare standards.

The problem with these industries is that the government is a strong lobbyist for factory farms and go to great lengths to protect them. In fact, the ag-gag law is only one of the measures taken to prevent exposure of abuse and other wrong doings. 

• The Trump administration redefined the term "outdoor access" to include fully indoors with windows. Leaving these animals inside their entire lives without a peek of sunshine hitting their skin even once before they are slaughtered is unbelievably cruel.
• Limiting liability for pork pollution despite local communities who bare the brunt of that pollution expressing their discontent.
• Several other rollbacks on animal welfare standards that allow these industries to skirt by on less than appropriate standards that would otherwise be penalized for being unethical and cruel.

Pigs are some of the smartest animals on the planet and are treated as nothing more than garbage animals who serve only 1 purpose, to be bred and slaughtered for food. They suffer undeniable abuse and cruelty at these farms and despite the general populous expecting a certain level of animal welfare, they are managing without committing to any set standards. Pigs will continue to suffer until serious laws come in to legislature that demand appropriate levels of welfare standards.

The fact is, factory farming is cruel down to the core. If it's not the largest pork facility, it's the chicken and cow industry being exposed. There is nothing ethical about breeding millions of animals in tiny, cramped spaces, abusing and slaughtering babies, and leaving animals sick and full of infections without vet care. Factory farms are responsible for some of the highest levels of carbon input and pollution on our environment without even factoring in the cruelty involved.

The only way to stop them is to go vegetarian / vegan and put them out of business. They will never get better regardless of the exposes so long as the government continues to protect them. There is no winning here aside from abandoning meat entirely. We are already seeing an incredible rise in the production and sale of vegan meats so if these shithole industries intend to compete, they need to do a lot of work on their welfare and ethics before more and more people turn to vegan meats and abandon meat entirely. It's already happening and that's the best thing for the animals and the environment. 

HAPPY VEG