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Animals farmed

This series looks at how the animals that feed us live, and how the business of feeding us works. What happens to animals in the factory farming system? And what does it mean for the planet?

  • Suffering of gassed pigs laid bare in undercover footage from UK abattoir

    Hidden camera at slaughterhouse appears to show ‘utterly inhumane’ use of CO2 to stun pigs before slaughter

  • Reports of rotten pork being sold in UK may lead to tighter control of FSA

  • E coli from meat behind half a million UTIs in the US every year, study suggests

  • A ringside view of Britain’s livestock markets – a photo essay

  • Global craze for collagen linked to Brazilian deforestation

  • What is collagen and why is it so popular in the beauty industry?

Loads more stories and moves focus to first new story.

The search for solutions

  • Ghost farms
    The mink sheds abandoned to the pandemic

  • Bird flu
    US farms lobby to use ‘cruellest’ killing method as bird flu rages

  • Pig patrol
    Amsterdam airport’s innovative approach to flight safety

  • Bugs to the rescue
    Using insects as animal feed could cut deforestation – report

Loads more stories and moves focus to first new story.

Explore

  • ‘Toilet of Europe’
    Spain’s pig farms blamed for mass fish die-offs

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

  • Saving the bacon
    Will British pig farmers ​survive a ban on cages?

  • Salmonella
    The food poisoning killer that won’t go away in the US

Loads more stories and moves focus to first new story.

About this project

  • Animals farmed: welcome to our series

    Meat plant workers

    • Revealed: exploitation of meat plant workers rife across UK and Europe

    • ‘The whole system is rotten’: life inside Europe’s meat industry

      • EU ‘failing to stop meat industry exploiting agency workers’

      • The invisible migrant workers propping up Ireland’s €4bn meat industry

      • Less meat is good for us and the planet – why are politicians shy to say so?

        Felicity Lawrence

      • Supermarkets vow to cut ties with meat suppliers found to exploit workers

      • Low pay, long hours, broken dreams: working at Europe’s biggest meat exporter

      • ‘We have to fight for these conditions’: why Danish meat plant workers are Europe’s best paid

    Live exports

    • Animals at risk in giant global industry

    • Live animal exports are being used as cover by smugglers, say NGOs

      Huge vessels used to transport farm animals are an attractive option for criminals smuggling drugs, arms and people

    • Animals to be formally recognised as sentient beings in UK law

      Set of government measures will include halting most live animal exports and a ban on hunting trophy imports

    • How nearly 3,000 cattle came to be stranded at sea for three months

    • Protests at 'inhumane' export of live horses to Japan for food

    • At least 20 livestock ships caught in Suez canal logjam

    • Cows might fly: Ireland to jet calves to Europe to cut travel time

    Loads more stories and moves focus to first new story.

    Deforestation

    • ‘This land belonged to us’: Nestlé supply chain linked to disputed Indigenous territory

      Investigation reveals cattle raised on Mỹky territory ended up in global supply chain including food giant

    • UK supermarkets could still be buying meat linked to deforestation in Brazil, report suggests

      At least 27,000 hectares of Cerrado have allegedly been destroyed by suppliers to major soya traders that supply UK meat industry

      • Brazil’s meat plants could be putting pregnant workers at risk, say health experts

      • Brazil’s Amazon beef plan will ‘legalise deforestation’ say critics

      • Brazil’s meat plant workers at risk from ‘inconceivable’ plan to cut break times

    Loads more stories and moves focus to first new story.

    Animal welfare

    • McDonald’s and Walmart beef suppliers criticised for ‘reckless’ antibiotics use

      Exclusive: Most important antibiotics for human health still used in supply chains of major US food companies, risking spread of superbugs

    • Swiss to vote in national poll on banning factory farming

    • UK retailers blocking moves to end the killing of day-old male chicks

      • UK has more than 1,000 livestock mega-farms, investigation reveals

      • Fans, sprinklers and cold baths for cows: India’s dairy farmers face searing heat

      • More than 20 million farm animals die on way to abattoir in US every year

      • US bird flu outbreak: millions of birds culled in ‘most inhumane way available’

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    Topics
    Meat industryFarmingEuropeAnimalsAnimal welfare