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The situation :
Great demand of pork to meet basic nutritional need and also to meet demand for westerners meat rich diet. The US pork giant Smithfield food setting intensive pig agriculture to meet these needs
Smithfield slaughter about 1.2 million hogs, 35-40 % for export.
''Don't eat me! please!"
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From the company's point of view, the believe that the setting up of this large pig farm will boost economy in Poland, and also create jobs.
The farm has brought about many problems:
Keeping many pigs in one place may be cost effective, however it will mean large amount of waste. I am sure that you people can imagine how smelly it will be, and how it could even affect the neighbourhood. For example, the neighbours cannot sell their homes, due to the smell. No one like to leave in and environment, with polluted air.
It makes me wonder, if a disease were to ever break out in there, how the whole pig farm can suffer great loss, and the unhygienic condition may promote the growth of the viruses.
Pig slurry can be dangerous pollutant. Toxic gases such as ammonia and hydrogen sulphide are emitted, which can cause headache, eye irritation, mood alteration & fatigue. How happy can the farmer working there be? Although they may be earning quite a sum of $ money $.
Nitrates from the manure can seep through the soil into water system,causing eutrophication and serious water pollution. If drunk, it could result in risk of human health. Pig reared in the farm is also kept alive using big doses of anitbiotic which can harm pigs and humans.
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Conclusion: This has shown how environment can be often neglected for the sake of meeting the needs for development and demands. In this case, the area around the farm being polluted, and may cause some health problems. The problem not only stay within the farm, but can affect everything around it. How the environment was affected is indeed a hidden cost. I think that the farm should be set up away from residential. Having farms at different area , and less packed with pig would be easier to manage in terms f pollution. If the pollution was not under control, Poland even the last few thousands of white stork would disappear in time, and the clean air, water and rich biodiversity would all be gone. Though it may gain benefit in terms of being a global marketplace. Which i think is not worth it.
