Virus and factory farming: A self-destructive cycle

the Corona has revealed crisis once again the intolerable conditions in the meat industry. In the German plants have infected hundreds of Eastern European assistants with the Covid-19 Virus living accommodation in the cramped, partly run-down Collection. It is an Outcry against cheap meat and poor working conditions followed. Previously, a scandal involving tainted meat moved in a sausage factory nationwide circles. The whole industry more and more into disrepute.

Michael Ashelm

editor in the economy.

Stefanie Diemand

editor in the economy.

A recent study has for the first time, directed a focus on the global industrial meat production, fish processing and dairy products, and the results of the F. A. Z. is available, shows an even more concerning picture: Almost three-quarters of the 60 largest listed companies in these sectors, which are chains, including supermarket and fast-food restaurants deliver in around the world, is attributed to due to a variety of abuses a "high risk" for the emergence and spread of future infectious diseases, the also of animal-to-human transferred (zoonosis).

Crucial requirements in animal production would not be met, says the report of the sustainable investment specialist, international investors Association Fairr. It is lacking to prevent such pandemics in safe working conditions and food, reasonable animal protection, the conservation of biodiversity and the responsible use of antibiotics. "The livestock sector is vulnerable to pandemics and their causes. It is a self-destructive cycle, to destroy values, and life at risk,“ says Fairr-founder Jeremy Coller.

Huge industrial farms, farms, livestock farming, and also the wet markets of Asia, produced more than 70 billion animals in the year to 7.8 billion people in the world, being just in the centre of a storm. The upswing in this type of manufacturing in the past 70 years have outbreaks becoming more frequent number of zoonotic brought – BSE (1989) about Sars (2002), swine flu (2009), Mers (2012), Ebola (2014), Zika (2015), Dengue fever (2016) up to now-a-Covid-19. "This Virus must be a Wake-up call for the entire industry," says Coller.

One Million litres of milk a day thrown away

The pandemic have led to the closing in many countries, a total of tens of thousands of infected workers in the meat industry, and operating also in Germany. In the fish industry excess goods had to be disposed of. Pigs had not been slaughtered due to a lack of consumer demand, would have had to be culled to make room for the later-born piglets. In the UK is estimated at a thrown away one Million litres of milk a day because of a closed restaurant and catering establishments (Coffee Shops) is just wasted.

Due to the Corona-crisis, had fallen by the end of may, the share prices of four of the largest meat processing companies in the United States (JBS, Smithfield, Tyson, and Sanderson Farms) to 25 percent, while the market was 9 per cent in the Minus. The study argues that the investment Bank Goldman Sachs livestock have listed next to Oil as one of the two most unsafe raw materials for investors in the next year.