Pigs’ lifeless bodies decomposing in pits right next to other living pigs; an open trailer transporting pig corpses down a highway; piglets rotting in containers on the side of the road — these are just some of the gruesome scenes played out in new undercover drone video footage, captured by Mercy for Animals (MFA), of Nebraska’s pork factory farms.
These factory farms carelessly disposing of slaughtered remains is both cruel and hazardous for local communities, increasing dangerous water and air pollution.
In response to COVID-related slaughterhouse closures, factory farms are carrying out wasteful and inhumane mass killings of animals, calling it “de-population” control. Without stricter regulations, these practices could become even more commonplace, MFA reported.
“This not only exposes blatant disregard for these animals as sentient individuals but places people and our environment at risk,” said Leah Garcés, president of Mercy For Animals, in a press release. “The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the frailty of our current food system and the imperative to invest in alternatives to animal agriculture.”
Factory farms are already one of the world’s biggest contributors to environmental destruction. The waste from the thousands of animals crammed together in small spaces contaminates water and air, as harmful compounds from the manure seep into the ground and emit detrimental gases into the air.
As the COVID-19 “de-population” continues, factory farms kill animals by the millions, in inconceivably cruel ways, such as shutting off barns’ ventilation systems to kill pigs and chickens with a deadly mixture of overheating and suffocation.
High-speed slaughter waivers also continue to be approved by the USDA during the pandemic. This reckless killing pace leads to increased animal suffering and higher chances of injury to workers.
As this footage shows, our current food system is broken. Help end the cruelty and environmental destruction by keeping animals off of your plate.
