Since the 1990s, the pork industry has dramatically transformed. Farms have gotten bigger, production costs have lowered and companies use contracts like never before to lock in costs.
Technological innovation has driven much of the change, according to a new USDA report. But federal policy decisions likely also have been a factor.
Over the next five weeks, Investigate Midwest is examining the industry's evolution, one chart at a time. We'll dive into the trends shaping today's pork industry.
This week, our focus is the proliferation of CAFOs.
Since the 1990s, hog farms have gotten bigger, more specialized and more productive, according to a new report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Environmental Research Service.
Pretending to be something you are not has dire consequences. It's a lesson that Tyson Foods Inc. is learning the hard way. Back in 2020 in response to the novel coronavirus, the Trump administration working secretly hand-in-glove with Big Meat, schemed to keep meat packing plants open with little regard for the safety of employees.
WHAT: Sunset on the Farm, sponsored in part by the Cedar Rapids Gazette
WHEN: 5 to 8 p.m. September 25
WHERE: Walker Homestead outside of Iowa City
DETAILS: While enjoying a beautiful setting, delight in great brick-oven pizza, wine, silent auction and camaraderie. Proceeds support work by Investigate Midwest.
CONTACT: Tickets are available here. Contact Mary Ungs-Sogaard for more information.
Top digital journalists, innovators and researchers from universities and news organizations across the nation will lead this year’s MobileMe&You conference, which is set for October 21-22, 2022. The conference will be held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Register here.
