Some interesting facts about pig meat production in Denmark. It's rather sad that we as a society have decided that there's simply nothing to do about the fact that people eat much more meat than they need. Producing 1 kg of meat takes several times that amount of plant, meaning much more people could get food if we produced less meat. And less animals would have to suffer in the production system.
- In 2012, almost 20 million pigs were slaughtered in Denmark.
- Every fourth conventional/third ecological pig dies before it's slaughtered, equal to 25,000 every day.
- At least 95% of conventional pigs have parts of their tail cut off without anaesthesia to prevent other pigs from biting in the tail. This works because it makes the tail much more sensitive, so pigs are more likely to move if other pigs bite in their cut tail. The reason pigs bite each other's tails in the first place is because of the stress, which exists because of the conditions they live in, one of the major reasons for this is that they have nothing to do.
According to a scientist, their needs for straw per day is 400g per pig, and they currently typically get 10 g per day, where they get any.
The law has forbidden cutting their tails since 2004, except when other measures have been attempted - and so this "exception" is used as excuse for 95% of the pigs.
It is completely forbidden to cut the tails of ecologic pigs.
Additionally, many pigs are also castrated without anaesthesia.
- Conventional pigs are moved to the slaughterhouses when they have a mass of about 105 kg, at this time they're usually between 5 and 6 months old.
- A conventional pig must have at least 0.65 square meters of space within a stable.
- Every third slaughtered pig suffers from gastric ulcers.
- Between 2008 and 2012, the export of young pigs has increased from 5.3 million to 9.2 million per year.
- 90% of the pig meat is exported to other countries. Germany receives the majority.
- 4,500 Mg (uhappy now, Atomic
) of pig meat is produced per day in Denmark. For comparison, the world's biggest producer, China, produces 140,000 Mg per day.
- People in Denmark consume on average 22 kg of meat per year, of which 9 kg is pig meat. People above 60 years consume 16 kg pig meat per year on average.
- Danish Crown, which is the company behind the majority of the pig meat production, is outsourcing jobs from the country. In 2012, it had 8,000 employed in Denmark and 15,000 employed in other countries. In 2004, it was the other way around.
- Pigs are fixed the weeks around when they give birth, "to prevent them from lying on their offspring".
Sources:
http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Indland/2014/01/21/095921.htmhttp://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Indland/2014/01/22/172458.htmhttp://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Indland/2014/01/21/121534.htmhttp://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Politik/2014/01/18/230141.htmhttp://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Indland/2014/01/23/164131.htmIs this production system a disgrace? What do you think? What do you think should be done about it?
