one green planet
one green planet

The World Organization for Animal Health shared October 31 that a quarter of the world’s pig population is in danger of dying from African swine fever.

This change would affect the price and availability of pork and pig products. African swine fever spreads through pig herds.  In 2019, the virus spread to China, the country with half of the world’s pig population.

Dr. Mark Schipp, President of the World Organization for Animal Health, told reporters in Australia, “I don’t think the species will be lost, but it’s the biggest threat to the commercial raising of pigs we’ve ever seen. And it’s the biggest threat to any commercial livestock of our generation. There are some shortages in some countries, and there’s been some substitutions using other sources of protein, which is driving up the prices of other proteins.”

The virus has also been found in Mongolia, Southeast Asia, East Timor and the Korean Peninsula. The organization is working on a vaccine, but the disease’s strain and size make that daunting.

Many new diseases are the rise due to factory farming and this is just another reason to remove pork products from your diet. Pig products have faced recent criticism from top organizations over health concerns.  Processed meats have been linked to cancer. NYC schools have banned processed meats and new legislation in DC is trying to remove it from hospitals. Eating a diet high in plant-based foods is known to have many disease-fighting health benefits and the power to prevent diseases.  

Read more about how factory farming impacts the environment and human health below:

Also, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App on iTunes — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest meatless, vegan and allergy-friendly recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy!

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