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A cow is rescued after falling into the water at a floating farm in Rotterdam, Netherlands last month
A cow is rescued after falling into the water at a ‘floating farm’ in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Photograph: Hollandse Hoogte/Rex/Shutterstock
A cow is rescued after falling into the water at a ‘floating farm’ in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Photograph: Hollandse Hoogte/Rex/Shutterstock

Animals farmed: Foie gras backlash, the ‘toughest job in farming’ and salmonella outbreaks

This article is more than 2 years old

Welcome to our monthly roundup of the biggest issues in farming and food production, with must-read reports from around the web

News from around the world

New Zealand will end the export of livestock by sea over the next two years, officials have announced. It comes after a ship bound for China last year capsized, killing nearly 6,000 cows and 41 of 43 crew members.

A multimillion-pound “floating dairy cow farm” in Rotterdam has been criticised after cows fell into the water. The farm, which opened in 2019, claims to be an example of urban farming and aims to educate city dwellers about food production.

Genetic diversity in salmon has declined since the emergence of large-scale fish rearing, according to a study of the wild population in Swedish rivers. Escapees breeding with the wild population produce inferior fish, posing a risk to future wild populations and the environment. And this Guardian podcast on the Netflix documentary Seaspiracy, debates whether the critique of commercial fishing in the programme is entirely accurate.

China’s pork imports jumped to an all-time high in March over supply concerns after a resurgence of African swine fever (ASF) in the world’s biggest consumer and producer. China’s agriculture ministry said it had confirmed an outbreak of ASF in Inner Mongolia, the 10th outbreak to be reported so far this year, according to Reuters.

Salmon from hatcheries are generally selected for fast growth but lack the survival skills of the wild population. Photograph: Robert F Bukaty/AP

News from the UK

Polish officials have had talks with the UK government to discuss the safety of Polish poultry meat following salmonella outbreaks linked back to the country. There have been several product recalls and at least 480 cases in people in the UK from the outbreak. The UK is the second-largest trading partner for Polish agri-foods and a significant destination for meat.

A prominent Scottish pig farmer supplying major UK supermarkets is being investigated after footage emerged appearing to show injured animals being hammered to death. In a statement on the farmer’s behalf, the National Pig Association said: “The UK pig sector takes allegations of the mistreatment of pigs incredibly seriously and as soon as aware will always encourage the relevant authorities to investigate, as we did in this instance.” It added that the footage depicted “inadequacies with regard to the method of euthanasia used and pig handling, which is totally unacceptable”.

The British cow population is at its lowest level for a century, according to new figures. There were 3.3 million beef and dairy cows in the UK in December 2020, the fewest since 1910. Elsewhere, Ireland recorded the largest expansion within the EU last year, as its dairy cow population reached 1.5 million.

Consumers are being encouraged to eat a range of egg sizes – and stop choosing only large ones – to benefit hen welfare. “If shoppers only want large eggs, then those hens are being asked to work harder, rather than just allowing them to do what comes naturally,” said Jane Howorth, founder of the British Hen Welfare Trust. Meanwhile, trials on a Lancashire egg farm aim to discover whether playing music in laying hen sheds can improve welfare and bird performance.

Pet shops in England are using breeding licences held in Northern Ireland to get around a law banning puppy farms. The legislation, which only applies in England, says dogs must be bought directly from breeders and viewed alongside their mother before sale.

The children’s TV show Blue Peter has dropped an anti-meat pledge that was part of a climate challenge for viewers to earn a green badge, after a backlash from farmers.

And if you’re wondering about more ethical sources of animal products, then find out what Guardian readers think about the prospect of all of Britain’s meat, milk and eggs being ethically farmed.

Jake Takiff in Colorado runs a perennial system – cultivating crops that do not need to be replanted each year – and rotates the areas where he grazes his cows and pigs. Photograph: Jake Takiff

From the Animals farmed series

France’s foie gras producers have defended the industry following reports the UK is considering banning imports, and a minister described it as “unbearably barbaric”. Marie-Pierre Pé, head of France’s foie gras producers’ association, said: “Yes, there have been videos with shocking images from farms, but they are exceptions and those farms do not reflect our sector and our profession.”

The UK government has been urged to open an investigation into illegal imports of veterinary drugs, after officials seized more than 40 different illegal medicines in the year to March 2021, compared with just one in 2019, one in 2018 and three in 2017. Some of the packages contained enough for hundreds of doses.

Supermarkets and fast-food outlets have been selling chicken fed on imported soya linked to deforestation. Photograph: Léo Corrêa/AP

Imports of cheap, fake honey from Asia are pushing American beekeepers to financial collapse, according to a lawsuit. The defendants have rebutted the allegations and say the honey provided was in compliance in “a transparent and traceable manner and is authentic”.

We profiled one of Colorado’s so-called “rebel farmers”, Jake Takiff, who is part of a trend towards regenerative farming, a more environmentally and economically sustainable model of managing the land.

As the Guardian celebrates its 200th anniversary, it’s worth remembering some of its groundbreaking investigative work on food and farming, including a 2005 report on how a gangmaster culture emerged in Britain, a 2013 investigation into the complex supply chains behind the horsemeat scandal and, in November last year, we revealed how chicken sold in UK supermarkets and fast-food outlets is linked to deforestation in Brazil.

And finally … ‘the toughest job in British farming’

Bella Bathurst wrote a moving piece about the life of the knackerman, with numerous insights into how the farming of animals has changed:

There are still older farmers who remember the days when the knackers paid them, not the other way round. Bone was fertiliser, meat was food, fat was candles, fleece was wool and hide was leather. Now, most of those uses have gone. The cost of shearing a sheep often exceeds the price for the wool, and dead sheep rot so quickly that they’re all just dumped and rendered.

Sign up here for the Animals farmed monthly update to get a roundup of the best farming and food stories across the world and keep up with our investigations. And you can send us your stories and thoughts at animalsfarmed@theguardian.com

More on this story

More on this story

  • Norway considers ‘boar-proof fence’ along border with Sweden

  • Italy culls tens of thousands of pigs to contain African swine fever

  • Scientists rush to create vaccine for world’s biggest animal disease outbreak

  • Swine fever risk if UK waives checks on imports from EU, say vets

  • The US has a silent pig pandemic on its doorstep once again

  • Deadly pig disease could have led to Covid spillover to humans, analysis suggests

  • Could a deadly pig virus transform Germany’s fixation on 'cheap meat'?

  • A 12-storey pig farm: has China found the way to tackle animal disease?

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