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I read this article yesterday on the train ride home.  I usually don't print these out, but I'm going to highlight some of the points during the Monsanto discussion on Saturday evening at the Acme. 

This piece is about Smithfield Foods, the American hog giant.  They moved to Eastern Europe and are shutting down the smaller, family run hog farmers who cannot compete with their low prices.  They are also eating up farming subsidies thought not entirely abiding local laws by not attaining all permits before building the large slaughter houses.  (Not to mention, Smithfield also put out thousands of American farms when they entered the South).

There are tons of topics in here which I speak of often, but the inhumane treatment of animals is appalling.  Imagine within 300 days of being born, you live 24/7 under florescent lights in an overcrowded pen, eat "food" that is rich in hormones and antibiotics (maybe even some omega 3s), and reach a size up to 270 lbs that means you are ready for slaughter.  

The slaughter isn't pretty either.  Don't think they don't feel a thing.  Most of the time the poor hog isn't even completely dead when it reaches the grinder.  

I know this is gruesome, but I am a firm believer in knowing where your food comes from.