Pigs n cows

T minus 26

MEPs condemn overuse of antibiotics in pigs

'Janusz Wojciechowski MEP said: "In my opinion, large-scale farming should be banned in the European Union, with a simultaneous ban on the imports of meat products from such farms outside of the EU. It should be forbidden to create new large farms, and the existing ones should be gradually eliminated."'

Although this article is related to rearing pigs, there are a number of indicators that imply that there is starting to be an EU backlash against factory-farming in general.

http://www.farminguk.com/news/MEPs-condemn-overuse-of-antibiotics-in-pigs_19801.html

The Environmental Impact of Dairy Production in the EU

'For all dairy systems described, largely negative environmental issues increase with increasing intensity of production.'

'Associated with the intensive dairy systems are high stocking rates, high use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides and mechanised methods.'

'These result in problems of direct point source pollution, diffuse pollution and pressure on marginal habitats and landscape features.'

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/agriculture/pdf/dairy_xs.pdf

Evaluation of the livestock sector's contribution to the EU greenhouse gas emissions

'Over the centuries, traditional agricultural land use systems, including livestock production and mixed farming, have fostered species-rich, diverse ecosystems and habitats with a high conservation value. Nowadays, semi-natural habitats in farmland are European biodiversity hotspots.

The intensification of agriculture in the second half of the 20th century has contributed to biodiversity decline and loss throughout Europe, major factors being pollution and habitat fragmentation and loss. Major impacts from animal production are linked to excess of reactive nitrogen, with current estimates attributing up to 95% of NH3 emissions to agriculture (Leip et al., 2011). This causes acidification and eutrophication of soils and water and subsequent depauperation of plant assemblages and reduction of the abundance of fauna linked to them.'

http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/analysis/external/livestock-gas/index_en.htm
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