We don’t know the names of these two pigs unfortunately. They are just two of the 260 million pigs in Europe and 1.3 billion worldwide. The often referred to average European consumes about 40 kilograms of pork a year. The two guys here therefore only meet the needs of five Europeans, if slaughtered at a weight of around 115 kilograms.
To grow the wheat, soy, corn and other plants consumed by a pig until then, about 9 square metres per kilogram of meat is required. This means these two will have practically eaten an entire field. In addition, during their short lifetime they will be fed with antibiotics five times.
By the way: European animal welfare provisions would permit 2000 pigs to be kept on our field: one square metre per grown up animal.
Useful Links
Compassion in World Farming
– Campaigns to end cruel factory farming. Find out more about the animals we farm
Pig Business – Investigates the rise of factory pig farming, a system which threatens human health through dangerous overuse of antibiotics, wrecks rural economies and communities, pollutes the environment and abuses animals.
The Meatrix – Website offering humorous films about the problems with factory farming and alternatives to conventionally raised meat
Meatless Monday
– Provides the information and recipes you need to start each week with meat-free alternatives
Livestock’s Long Shadow
– Assesses the full impact of the livestock sector on environmental problems
LoveMEATender
– Watch clips of Manu Coeman’s documentary on the consequences of our excessive meat consumption
