All Pigs in Egypt to be Culled
Animal Housing, Health & Disease, Livestock — by Craig Mackintosh
Continuing on from yesterday, where we revealed some pretty concrete links between H1N1 (Swine Flu) and corporate factory farms, and where we bemoaned the fact that the small-scale backyard farmers are likely to suffer because of the actions of this large U.S. industry, now we see that all the pig farmers in Egypt are going to lose their entire stock (around 300,000 – 400,000 animals in total). Apparently there is talk of ‘compensation’ (we’ll see…), but pig farmers would have to relocate their fresh new stock (when they’re allowed to restock is unknown) to locations away from birds and humans – arguably an impossible task for most. This will likely leave a great many families without a means of income.
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Posted on: April 30, 2009
Pandemic Ahoy?
Animal Housing, Bird Life, Consumerism, Health & Disease, Livestock, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contamination — by Craig Mackintosh
Factory farming is back in the spotlight….
 The 1975-77 TV Series ‘Survivors’ |
I’m showing my age here, but I was today reminded of an old British TV series called ‘Survivors‘ that was very popular in the late 1970s (nothing to do with modern reality shows!). It was a bit like Mad Max, but set in Britain, and after a pandemic rather than a nuclear war. The pandemic was, incidentally, a man-made affair. A lab experiment went horribly wrong when a test-tube crashed to the floor releasing a deadly virus. The scientist subsequently spread the contagion around the globe as he flew from convention to convention. Very few individuals survived.
Comments (1)Posted on: April 28, 2009
Porkine Putridity in Profusion
Animal Housing, Consumerism, Health & Disease, Livestock, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contamination — by Craig Mackintosh
If you wonder what it’s like in and around the world’s largest pig production empire, please read this. And if you don’t wonder what it’s like in and around the world’s largest pig production empire, please read it anyway. It’s very well written, and extremely enlightening.
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The One Duck Revolution
Animal Forage, Animal Housing, Bird Life, Breeds, Food Plants - Annual, Plant Systems, Working Animals — by Bill Mollison
PIJ #58, Mar – May 1996
 Aigamo ducks in rice paddy |
Mr. Takao Furuno’s modest business card reveals that he is a farmer in a world where “one duck creates boundless treasure”.
He farms rice very successfully in Japan and is a private aid volunteer, working in Vietnam when I met him. He had a message for all rice farmers, perhaps all wet paddy farmers, and gave me his book (all in Japanese) on the duck-rice paddy design he has perfected. Luckily I also have a condensed translation.
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