The Government’s War on “Backyard” Farms

by Robert Malone / June 8th, 2024

On the front page of the CDC website is the following headline:

Which then opens into the following:

• Are you ready to give away your chickens?
• Move from the country?
• Wear gloves and a mask when caring for backyard chickens?
• Stop buying eggs from your local farmer
• or, all of the above?

But hold your horses, reading further into the report – here are the numbers:

Out of 330 million people in the USA in 2024, 109 have gotten sick from Salmonella and have some association with backyard poultry this year.

A further dig into the CDC archives reveals that for the past six years, the CDC has conducted successive investigative “reports” on Salmonella outbreaks linked to backyard poultry. In fact, they write numerous articles on the subject each year.

Something fishy is going on here…

A search for poultry and salmonella on the CDC website reveals no such investigations or public reports for commercial poultry operations. There are NO reports for 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 or 2019 (the archives stop at 2019).

The CDC estimates that Salmonella bacteria cause about 1 million illnesses, 19,000 hospitalizations, and 380 deaths each year in the U.S

Below are the numbers for salmonella cases linked to backyard poultry, according to the CDC webpages:

An extensive search on the CDC website could not find how many people are sickened by commercial poultry each year.

So I went to various AI services, which spat out answers about risk of transmission and statistics about being sickened backyard poultry. The exact same pablum that I had found on the CDC website.

So, then I went the USDA website, and from there I was able to extrapolate the answer.

Therefore, according to the USDA, 1 million x .23% = 230,000 people are sickened by Salmonella associated with the consumption of chicken and turkey each year.

Out of those 230,000 infected with Salmonella from poultry a year, about a thousand people are sickened from backyard poultry (from the CDC).

THIS MEANS THAT ONE OUT OF EVERY 230 POULTRY-RELATED SALMONELLA CASES IN THE USA IS RELATED TO BACKYARD POULTRY!

One out of 230 salmonella cases, yet the CDC is completely focused on the risk of salmonella associated with backyard poultry in its public messaging and warnings.

You can’t make this stuff up.

But it gets worse; recently, North Carolina State University conducted a study that documented backyard and small farm poultry operations are infected with salmonella at a much lower rate than commercial plants.

So, the CDC’s website has nothing to say about salmonella-related illnesses for the 229,000 people infected from commercial operations, but the website is literally flooded with dire warnings about backyard poultry for the 1067 cases per year infected from backyard flocks.

How could this be anything but intentional?

Of course, the issue of regulatory capture again raises its ugly head.

Who hires someone after they have worked for the CDC? Industry, of course. Does the person who researches the high levels of salmonella in commercial poultry houses get hired?

“As far as making people sick and posing economic threats to the meat and poultry industry, it is at the top, it is the most widespread foodborne pathogen,” said Jonathan Campbell, PhD, extension meat specialist and associate professor of animal science at Pennsylvania State University, in University Park, Pa.

Salmonella is among the most widespread foodborne pathogens in part because there are so many types, referred to as serotypes, said Jasna Kovac, PhD, assistant professor of food safety and food science at Penn State. It also easily moves from animal hosts to people.

“It can survive pretty much everywhere in the environment, but its main harborage is in warm-blooded animals,” she explained.

So, salmonella will always be a risk in our food supply, including salmonella found in plant-based foods. But why has the CDC chosen to go after backyard flocks and small farmers? Of all the health-related news in the United States, why is the minuscule number of people infected from backyard poultry news on their front page year after year after year?

By omitting the true statistics about salmonella infections derived from the commercial poultry sector and highlighting backyard birds, the CDC intentionally misrepresents the danger of salmonella found in commercially produced poultry products. Commercial poultry farming is a big business, so is the CDC protecting that industry by throwing small farmers and homesteaders under the bus?

The government does not like what it can not control or regulate. When we create our own independent food supply networks, this triggers the government.

It is also hard to tax what they can not regulate.

But beyond that, this is a war by our government on personal sovereignty.

Thank you for reading Who is Robert Malone. This post is public so feel free to share it.

On a personal note, we have quite the pea-baby production going on here.

We collect one or two peacock eggs a day, save them up and then place them in the incubator each week. On Sunday, they get put into the brooder area for hatching.

So, far we have three weeks of hatchlings, for a total of 15+/- birds – with eight more due to hatch tomorrow.

Most of the babies will be given away to friends or sold.

(For those that didn’t know it, Jill and I are huge fans of aviculture, and Jill worked at the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park as well as the Brookfield Zoo in the 1980s. So for us, having these amazing avian creatures strolling around the farm is a joy. And as to answer the oft-asked question; no – the noise really doesn’t bother us. The exotic sounds of pea and guinea fowl sing to my soul.

Behold, a just-hatched baby pea.

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Robert W Malone MD, MS is president of the Malone Institute whose mission is to bring back integrity to the biological sciences and medicine. The Malone Institute supports and conducts research, education, and informational activities. Contact: info@maloneinstitute.org. Read other articles by Robert, or visit Robert's website.

 

More salmonella infections in Europe: Hygiene rules help prepare poultry safely

Special care when handling raw meat and thorough cooking can prevent illnesses

BFR FEDERAL INSTITUTE FOR RISK ASSESSMENT

Research News 

In recent months, more than three hundred cases of salmonellosis have occurred in various European countries and Canada, which are linked to each other. In the UK the cases could be partly traced back to frozen breaded poultry meat. The cause was contamination with the bacterium Salmonella Enteritidis, which causes gastrointestinal inflammation. Salmonella is not killed by deep freezing and can remain infectious at temperatures below zero degrees Celsius. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and the BfR are monitoring the situation together with the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL). In Germany, the number of reported cases has currently risen to more than 20 in six federal states. In 2020, there were a total of about 10,000 reported cases of salmonellosis in Germany, most of which were caused by the consumption of contaminated food. In principle, foodborne infections can be avoided by paying particular attention to hygienic care when preparing raw poultry. Due to the measures taken to contain the COVID 19 pandemic, people are currently cooking more often at home and, in the course of this, convenience products such as frozen goods are also being used more frequently. Sometimes it is not obvious at first glance whether such products contain pre-cooked or raw meat. Sufficient heating should always be ensured during preparation, especially of products containing raw poultry meat. In addition, bacterial contamination of other dishes via the raw meat and breading is possible. "Especially for children and elderly people there is a higher risk of getting sick from salmonella," says BfR President Prof. Dr. Dr. Andreas Hensel.

Link to the FAQs: https://www. bfr. bund. de/en/selected_faqs_on_poultry_meat-54623. html

Investigations by the official food monitoring authorities show that raw poultry and poultry meat products - including frozen products - can be contaminated with pathogens. In 2018, Salmonella was found in 5.6% of chicken meat samples examined and Campylobacter bacteria in every second sample. For this reason, the BfR encourages adherence to its recommendations on the handling and preparation of poultry and poultry products.

It is true that germs such as salmonella and campylobacter are killed during the preparation of poultry meat if the correspondingly high temperatures are reached during cooking. But by transferring these germs to hands, household utensils and kitchen surfaces, other food can become contaminated with these pathogens. If this contaminated food is not reheated before consumption, one can fall ill. Since salmonella can multiply in food at temperatures above 7 °C, there is a particular risk when eating food that is kept unrefrigerated for a long time, such as salads and desserts.

Therefore, the following general hygiene rules should be strictly followed when preparing raw poultry:

- Store and prepare raw poultry products and other foods separately, especially when the latter are not reheated

- Store fresh poultry at a maximum of +4 °C and process and consume until the use-by date.

- Defrost frozen poultry without packaging in the refrigerator (cover and place in a bowl to collect the defrost water).

- Dispose packaging materials carefully and discard defrost water immediately.

- Do not wash poultry, as the splashing water can spread germs; it is better to process it directly or dab it with a paper towel, which should be disposed of directly.

- Utensils and surfaces that have come into contact with raw poultry products or defrost water must be cleaned thoroughly with warm water and washing-up liquid before further use.

- Clean hands thoroughly with warm water and soap between each preparation step.

About the BfR

The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is a scientifically independent institution within the portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) in Germany. The BfR advises the Federal Government and the States ('Laender') on questions of food, chemical and product safety. The BfR conducts its own research on topics that areclosely linked to its assessment tasks.

This text version is a translation of the original German text which is the only legally binding version.

‘Big Chicken’ Merger Moves ahead Despite Investigations by the Biden Administration

Two of the largest poultry processing companies in the country, Wayne Farms and Sanderson Farms, will soon be merged to create one corporation amid a DOJ antitrust lawsuit against the companies. One expert fears the lawsuit won’t do enough to stop the merger from overpowering the chicken industry.

by Claire Carlson August 22, 2022

Processed chicken is on display in a market in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit and proposed settlement against some of the largest poultry producers in the U.S. It's part of an effort to end what the government claims have been longstanding deceptive and abusive practices for workers. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

A mega-merger between two of the country’s largest poultry processing companies is underway even as the Biden administration attempts to clamp down on antitrust violations by big agriculture companies, including “big chicken.”

In the meantime, the USDA is considering a rule that would require chicken processors to provide farmers with more information so growers can advocate for themselves in sales negotiations. A second rule under review could change the way chicken packers compensate farmers who raise chickens for them. Comments on those proposed rules are due August 23 and September 6 respectively

Wayne Farms and Sanderson Farms will soon become Wayne-Sanderson Farms after the Department of Justice greenlit the acquisition of Sanderson Farms by Cargill and Continental Grain Company in late July. Cargill and Continental Grain Company already owned Wayne Farms and had announced plans to acquire Sanderson Farms and start the merger in August 2021.

Just days after the Sanderson Farms acquisition was finalized, the DOJ filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland on July 25 against Cargill, Sanderson Farms, and Wayne Farms, citing an information exchange conspiracy about poultry workers’ wages and benefits as a violation of the Sherman Act that outlaws “conspiracy in restraint of trade,” according to the Federal Trade Commission.

The lawsuit also alleges that the poultry companies pitted chicken growers against each other through deceptive practices via the poultry tournament system, which ranks chicken producers based on the speed or efficiency with which they raise chickens. Growers who can deliver more product in a shorter amount of time are paid more by poultry processing companies.

Experts say this system is a result of extreme vertical integration, which has enabled poultry processing companies like Wayne Farms and Sanderson Farms to own the entire chicken production process, from raising animals, slaughtering and packing them, and distributing finished meat to retailers.

“The industry has gotten more integrated over the past 30 years and more consolidated,” said Patti Anderson, senior program officer at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. “It’s been sold as a way to increase efficiencies, but if you look at reports from the National Chicken Council, the average income for chicken growers when you account for inflation has gone down over the past 30 years.

“[The poultry industry] will tout the kind of efficiencies that they’ve gained, but growers are not better off for being part of this system,” Anderson said.

The three companies have agreed to pay an $84.8 million settlement written into the DOJ lawsuit that will be paid to workers harmed by the information exchange conspiracy. If the consent decree laid out in the lawsuit is approved by the court, the companies would be prohibited from sharing worker information with each other, among several other efforts to keep the companies in check (a full list can be viewed in this DOJ press release.)

One antitrust expert isn’t convinced the lawsuit does enough to prevent the new Wayne-Sanderson Farms merger from exercising undue control over the poultry industry.

“The American Antitrust Institute is concerned that any increases in concentration resulting from the [merger] may increase incentives for collusion in both input and output markets,” wrote Diana Moss, president of the American Antitrust Institute, in an email to the Daily Yonder.

The American Antitrust Institute is looking into whether the lawsuit settlement agreement adequately polices the enhanced market power the new Wayne-Sanderson Farms will have in the poultry industry.
Rulemaking Process

The USDA has started a rulemaking process to revise regulations under the Packers and Stockyards Act to address concerns related to the tournament system and poultry grower contracts.

According to the Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA, USDA’s proposed rule would require live poultry dealers – the corporation that buys chickens from the growers – to more truthfully disclose the information chicken growers need to make informed decisions about their business. The rule would also require dealers to disclose more details about the settlement payments for chicken growers during the tournament system process.

The comment period for the proposed rule, titled Poultry Growing Tournament Systems: Fairness and Related Concerns, closes on September 6.

The USDA also released an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) asking for feedback from the public on whether the tournament system, among other industry practices, should be considered unfair practice under the Packers and Stockyards Act. The comment period for the ANPRM closes on August 23.

Poultry farms in southwest France gripped by bird flu

H5N1 virus has been identified at 7 farms in Landes and Pyrenees-Atlantiques

Shweta Desai |28.12.2021

PARIS

A new outbreak of highly contagious avian influenza has been detected at poultry farms in southwestern France, local media reported Monday.

The H5N1 virus has been identified on seven poultry farms -- five in Mant and one in Castelner in the Landes department and one in the Malaussanne commune in the Pyrenees-Atlantiques department of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, a report by public radio outlet France Blue said.

The infection has progressed since the first case was confirmed at a farm in Hastingues, Landes on Dec. 19.

To prevent the virus from spreading to other farms, authorities are carrying out the preventive slaughter of poultry from the infected farms, and 37 municipalities in Pyrenees-Atlantiques and 34 in the Landes department linked to the outbreak have been declared restricted areas. The transport of live birds and poultry products including meat and eggs as well as manure and slurry indoors is prohibited in these areas.

Other poultry farms have been directed to follow biosecurity rules and exercise daily surveillance in case of abnormal mortality of the birds.

The virus is generally found among wild birds and is transmitted to domestic poultry in many European countries, a statement from the prefecture of Pyrenees-Atlantiques said. The consumption of meat, fatty liver and eggs does not present any risk to humans, it added.

Around the same time last year, poultry farms in the southwest of the country were infected with the H5N8 virus, leading to the culling of over 1 million birds. The region has a high number of duck farms and is famed for the production of foie gras, the national gastronomic delicacy of the fattened liver of ducks or geese.

Bird flu: 28,000 birds culled in suspected avian influenza outbreak in Northern Ireland

Tuesday 21 December 2021, 1:28pm

Around 28,000 birds have been culled in a suspected avian flu outbreak in Co. Londonderry (stock photo)Credit: PA Archive

A bird flu outbreak has triggered a mass bird cull in Northern Ireland.

Around 28,000 birds have been culled in the latest suspected avian flu outbreak in Co. Londonderry.

It follows two previous outbreaks in a commercial poultry flock near Markethill, Co Armagh, and a commercial duck flock in Coagh, Co Tyrone, which were confirmed as positive for HPAI HN51 following results from the National Reference Laboratory.

Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots has briefed a range of key stakeholders from both the Northern Ireland and Great Briatain poultry sectors following the detection of the suspect case in Ballinderry.

This takes Northern Ireland’s number of confirmed outbreaks so far to four, with one more suspected and awaiting confirmation.

Mr Poots said the outbreak was the "worst ever" across the UK, and called for vigilance among flock owners.

This is a particularly persistent strain and it will use any lapse in biosecurity to gain access to a flock.Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots MLA

“It’s extremely disappointing that this is now the worst outbreak ever across the UK and yet another stark reminder of the importance of excellent biosecurity measures which ultimately, are the only protection we have in preventing Avian Influenza getting into our housed flocks.

"This is a particularly persistent strain and it will use any lapse in biosecurity to gain access to a flock. Everyone must not only use our biosecurity checklist to see if they’ve ticked all the boxes, but get into a routine of checking it every morning.

"Make sure there are no forgotten or damaged access points and review your procedures every day to reduce the risk.

“I would like to thank the poultry sector for working so hard to protect our valuable industry and for how willing they are to make significant sacrifices to minimise the spread of this outbreak.”

Bird flu outbreak is the biggest ever and poultry keepers must do more to keep it out says the government's chief vet

By Lauren Abbott
labbott@thekmgroup.co.uk
 21 December 2021

Bird keepers are being told to take all the action they can to keep flocks safe as the UK grapples with its largest ever avian flu outbreak.

The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss says those keeping poultry or birds must make sure they are following all the biosecurity rules in place to try and slow the spread of the disease this winter.

There have been 60 confirmed instances since November

The country is facing its largest ever outbreak with 60 cases now confirmed across the UK since the start of November.

To help try and control the spread of disease the government introduced new housing measures last month which means anyone keeping chickens, ducks, geese or any other birds must now keep them indoors by law. This is to ensure wild birds migrating to the UK for the winter months, which often carry bird flu, do not mix with captive chickens, ducks, geese or other birds and spread the infection.

There are also requirements for keepers to disinfect clothing and footwear, which can also transport the virus into enclosures.

Defra says avian flu occurs naturally in wild birds

The UK's Chief Veterinary Officer believes that while the main source of infection comes from migratory wild birds, those failing to implement these measures risk infecting their own flocks, she says, by walking the virus into holdings.

Christine Middlemiss said: "We have taken swift action to limit the spread of the disease including introducing housing measures. However we are seeing a growing number of bird flu cases both on commercial farms and in backyard birds right across the country.

"Many poultry keepers have excellent biosecurity standards but the number of cases we are seeing suggests that not enough is being done to keep bird flu out. Whether you keep just a few birds or thousands you must take action now to protect your birds from this highly infectious disease.

"Implementing scrupulous biosecurity has never been more critical. You must regularly clean and disinfect your footwear and clothes before entering enclosures, stop your birds mixing with any wild birds and only allow visitors that are strictly necessary. It is your actions that will help keep your birds safe."

People who keep chickens must follow strict rules by law to help prevent the spread of the disease. Picture: iStock.

Avian influenza is in no way connected to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and is not carried in poultry or captive birds.

Public health advice remains that the risk to human health from avian flu is low and poultry remains safe to eat - however people are being told to not touch or pick up any dead or sick birds that they find while out walking and instead report them to the dedicated helpline.

US Poultry industry struggles with plunging sales, coronavirus deaths

BY ALEX GANGITANO - THE HILL- 04/23/20 

© Getty Images

Poultry producers are suffering through plummeting sales as restaurants, schools and other venues close their doors during the coronavirus pandemic.

The industry has also found itself in the same company as pork plants and slaughterhouses that have reported outbreaks and deaths related to the virus.

There are now five coronavirus-related deaths at poultry processing plants, matching the death toll at pork and beef production facilities.

But unlike the other industries, chicken processing plants have largely remained open, with closures being limited to a few days just for cleanings. And there appear to be fewer large-scale outbreaks at plants, though some chicken processors have been reluctant to release figures on how many employees have tested positive.

“I don’t know if it’s just a matter of chance that they’ve seen more cases in the pork plants,” said Mary Muth, a program director and research economist at RTI International, a nonprofit research institute.

Four employees of a Tyson Foods poultry processing plant in Georgia died from the coronavirus earlier this month, but the plant and all poultry plants run by the company remain open. Tyson would not confirm how many employees have tested positive, however.

An employee at a Wayne Farms poultry plant in Alabama died this month, and 75 workers tested positive, but that plant also remains open, ABC News reported.

By contrast, pork processing plants have had more than 660 cases and beef production plants have had more than 100 cases, with activity halted for several days at different facilities, threatening food supply lines.

Some experts say the highly regulated sanitation levels for chicken processing plants, particularly to guard against salmonella, could be contributing to the lower case counts.

“The poultry facilities are super, duper clean and if they were not, they would not be open. They have inspectors on site and people reporting to inspectors,” Brian Ladman, senior scientist in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at the University of Delaware, told The Hill.

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association said its members have enhanced sanitation at processing facilities and practice social distancing in common areas.

But some experts say social distancing in those environments is nearly impossible.

“It would be pretty hard to socially distance. Everything is shared facilities. It does raise the concern of will we see more closures over time?” Muth said of chicken processing plants.

Even with plants remaining open, the industry is still struggling to find new markets to balance out the drop-off in sales beyond grocery stores.

The National Chicken Council (NCC), which represents about 95 percent of the chicken produced in the US, including Tyson, Perdue, Sanderson Farms and Pilgrim’s Pride, reported that sales are up for retail but not enough to offset food service losses, which is roughly 50 percent of its market.

The turkey industry is still assessing potential losses in revenue as a result of the pandemic.

“We do know disruptions in food service will have an acute impact on the industry,” said Beth Breeding, vice president of communications and marketing for the National Turkey Federation.

“Turkey processors have been able to keep plants operating without any significant closures while also taking critical steps to ensure the health and wellbeing of workers,” Breeding said.

Experts caution, though, that poultry supply chains aren’t immune to the same problems that have hit other food industries.

“The bottom line is our food chain is not easily redirected. We’re talking long-term contracts in some cases, we’re talking projections,” Ladman said. “So when things are thrown off the rails, we’re kind of stuck. Food is not easily canned or frozen and then stored.”

It’s also not easy for most companies to quickly switch gears and shift food service sales to retail.

“One of the big issues for plants that produce for food service, in addition to the product not being what consumers are used to buying, they don’t have the packaging they need, they don’t have the labeling that they need, and most importantly, they don’t have the business relationship to redirect that to different sellers,” Muth said.

The Michigan Allied Poultry Industries, which represents 54 family turkey farms and sells 60 percent of turkeys to restaurants and food services, said demand has plunged 70 percent.

“It’s definitely reaching critical levels between diminished demand and falling prices,” said Executive Director Allison Brink.


For those that have established ties with grocery stores, business is good.

Brian Fairchild, a professor in the University of Georgia's Poultry Science Department, said Georgia companies he’s spoken to have seen increases in retail sales.

“Restaurant sales are down of course. If they have the materials and capability, the processing plants that can are shifting some of their restaurant product to retail. Currently in Georgia we have been fortunate enough that the companies have been able to run at full capacity as far as I know,” he said. “For now, chicken is moving through the poultry production process close to normal if not at a normal pace in Georgia.”

For producers that are suffering, the federal government could help alleviate some of that pain.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a $19 billion relief program last week to help farmers that have experienced at least a 5 percent loss in revenue.

“USDA worked to build up this program from the ground up, evaluating the impacts of COVID-19 throughout the agricultural and food sector and then reviewed the resources we had available to do the best we can with what we have,” a USDA spokesperson said. “As we implement and get applications, we will continue to evaluate impacts and work with Congress as more resources are needed.”

One part of the poultry industry has seen sales spike — direct farm-to-table sales are thriving during the pandemic.

The American Pastured Poultry Producers Association, which represents independent farmers, reported 100 percent to 500 percent increases in sales.

“The very positive thing that we’ve seen is consumers, as they are unsure about where to get food these days … they’re turning to the farms near them, in their neighborhood, and buying directly from the farmers — eggs and chicken,” Executive Director Mike Badger said. “There’s a real resurgence of that regional commerce going on and interactions happening between the eater and the farm.”

Daniel Salatin, the owner of the Polyface Farms in Virginia, said sales are up about 300 percent. Ten percent of sales have been shipped to homes, 20 percent have been picked up at the farm and 70 percent have been delivered to homes or neighborhood drop-off points.

He credited some of that to news reports of workers at food processing plants falling ill, prompting some customers to want to know more about where their food comes from.

“Our new-customer purchases have exploded for that very reason. We’re doing the best to keep up. We’re not able to necessarily take everybody,” he said.

Avian flu is devastating farms in California’s ‘Egg Basket’ as outbreaks roil poultry industry



A worker moves crates of eggs at the Sunrise Farms processing plant in Petaluma, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, which has seen an outbreak of avian flu in recent weeks. 

Ettamarie Peterson holds a chicken at her farm in Petaluma, Calif. on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. She’s concerned her flock of 50 hens could be infected with avian flu. Jan. 11, 2024. A year after the bird flu led to record egg prices and widespread shortages, the disease known as highly pathogenic avian influenza is wreaking havoc in California, which escaped the earlier wave of outbreaks that that devastated poultry farms in the Midwest. 

A worker moves crates of eggs at the Sunrise Farms processing plant in Petaluma, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, which has seen an outbreak of avian flu in recent weeks. A year after the bird flu led to record egg prices and widespread shortages, the disease known as highly pathogenic avian influenza is wreaking havoc in California, which escaped the earlier wave of outbreaks that that devastated poultry farms in the Midwest. 


BY TERRY CHEA
 January 26, 2024Share

PETALUMA, Calif. (AP) — Last month, Mike Weber got the news every poultry farmer fears: His chickens tested positive for avian flu.

Following government rules, Weber’s company, Sunrise Farms, had to slaughter its entire flock of egg-laying hens — 550,000 birds — to prevent the disease from infecting other farms in Sonoma County north of San Francisco.

“It’s a trauma. We’re all going through grief as a result of it,” said Weber, standing in an empty hen house. “Petaluma is known as the Egg Basket of the World. It’s devastating to see that egg basket go up in flames.”

A year after the bird flu led to record egg prices and widespread shortages, the disease known as highly pathogenic avian influenza is wreaking havoc in California, which escaped the earlier wave of outbreaks that devastated poultry farms in the Midwest.

The highly contagious virus has ravaged Sonoma County, where officials have declared a state of emergency. During the past two months, nearly a dozen commercial farms have had to destroy more than 1 million birds to control the outbreak, dealing an economic blow to farmers, workers and their customers.

Merced County in Central California also has been hit hard, with outbreaks at several large commercial egg-producing farms in recent weeks.

Experts say bird flu is spread by ducks, geese and other migratory birds. The waterfowl can carry the virus without getting sick and easily spread it through their droppings to chicken and turkey farms and backyard flocks through droppings and nasal discharges.

California poultry farms are implementing strict biosecurity measures to curb the spread of the disease. State Veterinarian Annette Jones urged farmers to keep their flocks indoors until June, including organic chickens that are required to have outdoor access.

“We still have migration going for another couple of months. So we’ve got to be as vigilant as possible to protect our birds,” said Bill Mattos, president of the California Poultry Federation.

The loss of local hens led to a spike in egg prices in the San Francisco Bay Area over the holidays before supermarkets and restaurants found suppliers from outside the region.

While bird flu has been around for decades, the current outbreak of the virus that began in early 2022 has prompted officials to slaughter nearly 82 million birds, mostly egg-laying chickens, in 47 U.S. states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Whenever the disease is found the entire flock is slaughtered to help limit the spread of the virus.

The price of a dozen eggs more than doubled to $4.82 at its peak in January 2023. Egg prices returned to their normal range as egg producers built up their flocks and outbreaks were controlled. Turkey and chicken prices also spiked, partly due to the virus.

“I think this is an existential issue for the commercial poultry industry. The virus is on every continent, except for Australia at this point,” said Maurice Pitesky, a poultry expert at the University of California, Davis.

Climate change is increasing the risk of outbreaks as changing weather patterns disrupt the migratory patterns of wild birds, Pitesky said. For example, exceptional rainfall last year created new waterfowl habitat throughout California, including areas close to poultry farms.

In California, the outbreak has impacted more than 7 million chickens in about 40 commercial flocks and 24 backyard flocks, with most of the outbreaks occurring over the past two months on the North Coast and Central Valley, according to the USDA.

Industry officials are worried about the growing number of backyard chickens that could become infected and spread avian flu to commercial farms.

“We have wild birds that are are full of virus. And if you expose your birds to these wild birds, they might get infected and ill,” said Rodrigo Gallardo, a UC Davis researcher who studies avian influenza.

Gallardo advises the owners of backyard chickens to wear clean clothes and shoes to protect their flocks from getting infected. If an unusual number of chickens die, they should be tested for avian flu.

Ettamarie Peterson, a retired teacher in Petaluma, has a flock of about 50 chickens that produce eggs she sells from her backyard barn for 50 cents each.

“I’m very concerned because this avian flu is transmitted by wild birds, and there’s no way I can stop the wild birds from coming through and leaving the disease behind,” Peterson said. “If your flock has any cases of it, you have to destroy the whole flock.”

Sunrise Farms, which was started by Weber’s great-grandparents more than a century ago, was infected despite putting in place strict biosecurity measures to protect the flock.

“The virus got to the birds so bad and so quickly you walked in and the birds were just dead,” Weber said. “Heartbreaking doesn’t describe how you feel when you walk in and perfectly healthy young birds have been just laid out.”

After euthanizing more than half a million chickens at Sunrise Farms, Weber and his employees spent the Christmas holiday discarding the carcasses. Since then, they’ve been cleaning out and disinfecting the hen houses.

Weber hopes the farm will get approval from federal regulators to bring chicks back to the farm this spring. Then it would take another five months before the hens are mature enough to lay eggs.

He feels lucky that two farms his company co-owns have not been infected and are still producing eggs for his customers. But recovering from the outbreak won’t be easy.

“We have a long road ahead,” Weber said. “We’re going to make another run of it and try to keep this family of employees together because they’ve worked so hard to build this into the company that it is.”

PHOTOS: Avian flu is devastating farms in California’s ‘Egg Basket’ as outbreaks roil poultry industry

Aerial view of the Sunrise Farms processing plant in Petaluma, Calif. on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, which has seen an outbreak of avian flu in recent weeks. A year after the bird flu led to record egg prices and widespread shortages, the disease known as highly pathogenic avian influenza is wreaking havoc in California, which escaped the earlier wave of outbreaks that that devastated poultry farms in the Midwest.

Eggs are cleaned and disinfected at the Sunrise Farms processing plant in Petaluma, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, which has seen an outbreak of avian flu in recent weeks. A year after the bird flu led to record egg prices and widespread shortages, the disease known as highly pathogenic avian influenza is wreaking havoc in California, which escaped the earlier wave of outbreaks that that devastated poultry farms in the Midwest. 

Chickens stand in a holding pen at Ettamarie Peterson’s farmin Petaluma, Calif. on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. There are concerns that the flock of 50 hens could be infected with avian flu. A year after the bird flu led to record egg prices and widespread shortages, the disease known as highly pathogenic avian influenza is wreaking havoc in California, which escaped the earlier wave of outbreaks that that devastated poultry farms in the Midwest.

Aerial view of Ettamarie Peterson’s farm, where she has a flock of about 50 chickens that produce eggs she sells. She’s concerned her flock could be infected with avian flu. Petaluma, Calif. on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. A year after the bird flu led to record egg prices and widespread shortages, the disease known as highly pathogenic avian influenza is wreaking havoc in California, which escaped the earlier wave of outbreaks that that devastated poultry farms in the Midwest. 

Mike Weber watches an employee clean a hen house at his egg farm in Petaluma, Calif. on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. His company Sunrise Farms had to euthanize 550,000 chickens after avian flu was detected among the flock. A year after the bird flu led to record egg prices and widespread shortages, the disease known as highly pathogenic avian influenza is wreaking havoc in California, which escaped the earlier wave of outbreaks that that devastated poultry farms in the Midwest.

A worker moves crates of eggs at the Sunrise Farms processing plant in Petaluma, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, which has seen an outbreak of avian flu in recent weeks. A year after the bird flu led to record egg prices and widespread shortages, the disease known as highly pathogenic avian influenza is wreaking havoc in California, which escaped the earlier wave of outbreaks that that devastated poultry farms in the Midwest.

Mike Weber stands in an empty hen house at Sunrise Farms, which had to euthanize 550,000 chickens after avian flu was detected among the flock in Petaluma, Calif. Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. A year after the bird flu led to record egg prices and widespread shortages, the disease known as highly pathogenic avian influenza is wreaking havoc in California, which escaped the earlier wave of outbreaks that that devastated poultry farms in the Midwest. 

Ettamarie Peterson stands in a holding pen with chickens at her farm in Petaluma, Calif. on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. She’s concerned her flock of 50 hens could be infected with avian flu. A year after the bird flu led to record egg prices and widespread shortages, the disease known as highly pathogenic avian influenza is wreaking havoc in California, which escaped the earlier wave of outbreaks that that devastated poultry farms in the Midwest. 

A worker moves crates of eggs at the Sunrise Farms processing plant in Petaluma, Calif. on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, which has seen an outbreak of avian flu in recent weeks. 

A grocery store employee stocks cartons of eggs for display at a Petaluma Market in Sonoma County, on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, where avian flu infections shut down a cluster of egg farms in recent months.

PHOTOS BY TERRY CHEA

UH OH

Rise in human bird flu cases in China shows risk of fast-changing variants - health experts

FILE PHOTO: Man provides water for chickens inside a greenhouse at a farm in Heihe

Dominique Patton
Mon, October 25, 2021, 11:13 PM·3 min read


BEIJING (Reuters) - A jump in the number of people in China infected with bird flu this year is raising concern among experts, who say a previously circulating strain appears to have changed and may be more infectious to people.

China has reported 21 human infections with the H5N6 subtype of avian influenza in 2021 to the World Health Organization (WHO), compared with only five last year, it said.


Though the numbers are much lower than the hundreds infected with H7N9 in 2017, the infections are serious, leaving many critically ill, and at least six dead.

"The increase in human cases in China this year is of concern. It's a virus that causes high mortality," said Thijs Kuiken, professor of comparative pathology at Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam.

Most of the cases had come into contact with poultry, and there are no confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission, said the WHO, which highlighted the rise in cases in a statement on Oct. 4.

It said further investigation was "urgently" required to understand the risk and the increase in spill over to people.

Since then, a 60-year-old woman in Hunan province was admitted to hospital in a critical condition with H5N6 influenza on Oct. 13, according to a Hong Kong government statement.

While human H5N6 cases have been reported, no outbreaks of H5N6 have been reported in poultry in China since February 2020.

China is the world's biggest poultry producer and top producer of ducks, which act as a reservoir for flu viruses.

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) could not be reached for comment on the rise in H5N6 human cases. However, a study published on its website last month said the "increasing genetic diversity and geographical distribution of H5N6 pose a serious threat to the poultry industry and human health".

Avian influenza viruses constantly circulate in domestic and wild birds, but rarely infect people. However, the evolution of the viruses, which have increased as poultry populations grow, is a major concern because they could change into a virus that spreads easily between people and cause a pandemic.

The largest number of H5N6 infections have been in southwestern Sichuan province, though cases have also been reported in neighbouring Chongqing and Guangxi, as well as Guangdong, Anhui and Hunan provinces.

At least 10 were caused by viruses genetically very similar to the H5N8 virus that ravaged poultry farms across Europe last winter and also killed wild birds in China. That suggests the latest H5N6 infections in China may be a new variant.

"It could be that this variant is a little more infectious (to people)...or there could be more of this virus in poultry at the moment and that's why more people are getting infected," said Kuiken.

Four of the Sichuan cases raised poultry at home and had been in contact with dead birds, said a September report by China's CDC. Another had bought a duck from a live poultry market a week before developing symptoms.

China vaccinates poultry against avian influenza but the vaccine used last year may only partially protect against emerging viruses, preventing large outbreaks but allowing the virus to keep circulating, said Filip Claes, Regional Laboratory Coordinator at the Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases at the Food and Agriculture Organization.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs did not respond to a request for comment.

Backyard farms in China are common and many people still prefer to buy live chickens at markets.

Guilin city in Guangxi region, which had two human cases in August, said last month it had suspended trading of live poultry in 13 urban markets and would abolish the trade within a year.

(Reporting by Dominique Patton; Editing by Michael Perry)

Chicken culling, disposal raise concern as bird flu spreads

A caged hen feeds at an egg farm in San Diego County in this picture taken July 29, 2008.
PHOTO: Reuters file

PUBLISHED ON JULY 18, 2024 

The spread of bird flu among poultry and dairy farms has heightened some health experts' concerns that the process of killing and disposing of poultry infected with the virus may pose a risk to humans and livestock.

Recent instances of farms dumping carcasses in landfills and using methods to kill chickens that put workers in close proximity to the virus show how the process of getting rid of infected birds could further spread the disease, according to data obtained by Reuters and interviews with officials and disease experts.

Extreme heat that made it difficult to keep protective equipment on during the asphyxiation by carbon dioxide of chickens on a Colorado egg farm likely contributed to five bird flu cases among workers, the largest cluster of human cases in the United States, the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention said this week.


The situation highlights the need for systematic use of protective gear when killing the sick animals, said the CDC's Principal Deputy Director Nirav Shah on a Tuesday call with reporters about the outbreak.

Workers killing chickens risk inhaling the virus, said Dr Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, of the process. The workers had mild symptoms including pink eye and respiratory issues.

"Depopulation activities need to clearly focus on protection for these individuals," he said.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture said in response to questions that the method of killing birds is decided jointly between the state, the farmer, and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Colorado's case

Bird flu has migrated to nearly every US state over the past 2.5 years. There have been nine cases among poultry and dairy workers since March, including the Colorado poultry workers.

Bird flu spreads to tenth Australian poultry farm

Further bird flu spread among livestock could increase the likelihood of human infections, though the risk to the general public is still low, officials from the CDC have said.

About 95 million chickens, turkeys, and other poultry have been killed and disposed of since February 2022, according to USDA data obtained by Reuters showing culling and disposal methods through late June.

Bird flu is fatal in birds and the government requires entire flocks to be culled once the virus is on a farm. The deadliest year was 2022, but nearly as many chickens have been disposed of so far in 2024 as in all of 2023, the data shows.

The sick workers in Colorado, for instance, were killing the birds with mobile gas chamber carts, said Julie Gauthier, an official at USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, on the Tuesday call.

The carts can typically accommodate between a dozen and 50 birds and workers asphyxiate them batch by batch, Gauthier said. A USDA spokesperson said the agency had reviewed the farm's use of the method as part of its response to the outbreak.

More than 150 of the workers were exposed to infected poultry, 69 displayed symptoms and were tested, and five were positive, said AnneMarie Harper, communications director at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Most chickens are killed by asphyxiation either with portable chambers like those used in Colorado, or by spraying a firefighting foam on the birds or shutting down ventilation to the chicken barns, the USDA data shows.

A small number are killed with firearms, by cervical dislocation, or other means.
Disposing of the dead


Finland to start bird flu vaccinations for humans, in world first

Most of the culled birds are composted, either in chicken houses or on farms, or buried, according to the USDA data. To compost the birds, farmers cover them in material like wood shavings, maintain the compost piles at a high temperature, and stir them occasionally with farm equipment in a process that typically takes several weeks.

So far, there have been no human or livestock cases linked directly to disposal of dead animals with avian flu.

Federal and state officials work with farmers to determine the best disposal methods, said John Clifford, a former USDA chief veterinarian, now an advisor for the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council, an industry group.

It is safest to compost on site to avoid moving the carcasses and potentially spreading the virus, said Myah Walker, compliance unit supervisor at the Minnesota Board of Animal Health.

In rarer cases, carcasses are transported to landfills, a process that can meet some federal and state regulations.

Michigan egg producer Herbruck's Poultry Ranch disposed of nearly 2 million chickens between April 15 and June 8 in private landfills, according to USDA data and Michigan state records of the disposal process obtained by Reuters.

Herbruck's declined to comment.

Just 3 per cent of all poultry have been disposed of in landfills since 2022, and the Herbruck's outbreak accounts for about two-thirds of them, the USDA data shows.

Soon after the Herbruck's disposal, a dairy farm near one of the landfills tested positive for bird flu, alarming area farmers. Even so, whole genome sequencing showed the disposed Herbruck's carcasses did not cause the infection, said Adeline Hambley, Ottawa County's health officer.

Wild birds have helped spread the virus between poultry farms and to other species.

Brian Hoefs, the state veterinarian for Minnesota, said he would not recommend disposing of dead poultry in landfills.

"That's the restaurant for scavengers. It would be a recipe for disaster," he said.


Bird flu strains spread around the globe

Source: Reuters

Fields of filth: factory farms committing thousands of environmental breaches


The more than 3,000 violations affected water, air and land

Published April 29 2024
By Andrew Wasley , Lucie Heath
This story was published in partnership with:

The iFind out how to use the Bureau’s work


Intensive livestock farms in England have breached environmental regulations thousands of times in recent years, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism can reveal.

Among the more than 3,000 incidents were the “routine” discharge of slurry and dirty water, maggot-infested carcass bins and the illegal incineration of pigs.

Records obtained by TBIJ and the i of Environment Agency inspections at intensive poultry and pig units detailed violations affecting water, air and land. They included poorly maintained farm buildings and equipment, as well as other breaches of rules designed to minimise the environmental impact of the country’s largest livestock farms. They also included hundreds of cases involving substandard farm waste management.

Some farms were found to hold no records of poultry litter and dirty water transfers, including the dates, destinations and quantities of exported slurry and manure.

Many of the thousands of violations recorded over five years were relatively minor, resulting in farms being given “advice and guidance” by agency officials, records show. They issued formal cautions and warnings in more than 500 cases and recommended 48 prosecutions.

Farm waste is often used as fertiliser at third-party sites

Wayne Hutchinson/Farm Images/Universal Images Group/Getty

The revelations came as new evidence reported by the Guardian found that dairy farms in the UK broke environmental regulations more than a thousand times between 2020 and 2021, including by spilling waste into rivers.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “We are clear that the agricultural sector must deliver improvements to our environment.” They added: “In 2023, around 80% of pig and poultry farm inspections resulted in advice and guidance, 16% resulted in a warning and around 2% resulted in a formal caution or prosecution.”

1,700 double-decker busload

the volume of animal waste produced daily by nine major UK meat and poultry firms

They said the pig and poultry sector accounted for a small number of serious pollution incidents compared to other agricultural sites.
Thousands of tonnes of waste a day

A report published today by the campaign groups Sustain and Friends of the Earth shows that nine major meat and poultry firms are producing more than 30,000 tonnes of livestock waste a day – some 1,700 double-decker busloads. The companies supply major supermarkets with poultry and pork and rear more than 100m farm animals at any one time. Among them are the UK subsidiaries of controversial meat giants Cargill and JBS, according to Sustain. The figures exclude waste from intensive beef farms, which are not regulated in the same way.

There is no suggestion that these companies were among those found to have committed the largest number or most egregious cases of environmental rule-breaking uncovered by TBIJ and the i.

Farm waste, including slurry, manure and poultry litter, is frequently spread on farmland as fertiliser but can wash into rivers and cause nutrient pollution. This affects water quality and can kill fish, plants and animals living in the waterways.

It also emits ammonia, an airborne pollutant that can harm human health and ecosystems. The government has pledged to reduce ammonia emissions across the UK by 16% by 2030.

‘The government [needs to] treat Big Ag businesses with the same level of scrutiny as sewage companies’


Sustain said only a few of the companies have effective policies for managing waste. It added that the issue is poorly regulated.
Filthy findings

Intensive poultry and pig farms above a certain size – 40,000 birds, 2,000 fattening pigs or 750 breeding pigs – require a licence to operate in England and are subject to inspection by the Environment Agency. Officials physically check livestock housing, slurry and manure storage, and drainage systems. They also inspect farm records relating to animal numbers, feed, energy and water use, and waste disposal.

The records obtained by TBIJ reveal 770 breaches relating to farm infrastructure regulations, including measures designed to minimise pollution, and 568 relating to records and monitoring, including on farm waste. More than 650 violations were linked to the substandard management of farms, and 346 concerned emissions affecting air, land and water.

‘The British public are getting a bum deal – big agribusinesses dump their waste on our countryside and slink off the profits’


In one case, inspectors noted: “Management failure [has led] to slurry discharge to water course.” In another, officials wrote: “The site is in a general state of disrepair, issues have been raised and these have not been actioned.”

Much of the waste identified by Sustain in its report originates from intensive livestock units. These have proliferated in recent years and can house up to a 1.4 million birds or more than 20,000 pigs.

“The British public are getting a bum deal – big agribusinesses dump their waste on our countryside and slink off the profits,” said Sam Hayward, a campaign officer at Sustain. “We need to hold these big businesses to account for the toxic waste they produce, and we need to stop this bloated industry from getting any bigger.”

Virendra Sharma, the MP for Ealing Southall, told Sustain as part of research for a report: “It’s time that we acknowledge the alarming reality of river pollution caused by intensive agriculture in England.

“The government [needs to] treat Big Ag businesses with the same level of scrutiny as sewage companies and stop the expansion of intensive livestock units in the most affected areas.”


The dirty truth+ Show


Among the findings detailed in the Environment Agency inspectors’ reports were:

Water contaminated with manure and slurry passing into a watercourse, causing pollution.


Dirty water and slurry routinely discharging to ground after escaping from a drainage system – the issue has been “ongoing for several years”.


Overflow from a contaminated water tank was tracked offsite and a carcass bin found leaking while full of dead birds, leading to a “spill of white liquid”.


Spent disinfectant being disposed of by pouring directly onto land – “not an acceptable practice”.


“Black, foul water” found in unlined ditches, bubbling with gases around farm buildings.


No poultry litter and dirty water transfer records being held by farms including dates, destinations and quantities of exported slurry and manure.


Chickens and pigs being “overstocked” on some farms – in some cases involving hundreds of additional animals confined without permission.


Excessive air pollution at farms, including in one case of “ongoing odour detected beyond a farm boundary, at a level likely to cause pollution”.


Ammonia sampling not being carried out.


No air scrubbers – devices that remove air pollution – to reduce ammonia emissions as required, resulting in a “potentially significant impact on nearby nature conservation sites”.


Livestock being incinerated on farms without a licence.


Maggots observed on the external areas of the carcass bin (not completely sealed).


Adult fly activity on one site with evidence of breeding (larvae eggs in litter) at a level likely to cause annoyance outside site boundaries. “Report of flies in the local area.”



Celine O’Donovan, a solicitor at the law firm Leigh Day, which is mounting legal actions in relation to pollution in the River Wye, told TBIJ: “Sustainably disposing of waste produced by supply chains is part of the true cost of industrial operations.

“Many large meat and dairy companies have a business model that relies on a lack of accountability for the waste generated by their supply chain. This model outsources the rearing of livestock to hundreds of small third-party supply farms in a single region, while retaining complete ownership of every aspect of the process except the disposal of manure.”
Exporting excrement

In several poultry-producing hotspots, including in Northern Ireland and the Wye Valley, chicken firms are already “exporting” farm waste to other locations because of an over-saturation of waste and its associated water pollution and soil quality damage.

In January, as part of a “roadmap” for tackling the issue, Avara Foods, which is part-owned by Cargill, began trucking poultry waste from within the River Wye catchment, the epicentre of its poultry operations, to other destinations across the UK. Some locations were as far afield as East Anglia and north-east England.

‘Despite the attention focused on the River Wye, it is just one of the many UK rivers currently under threat from agricultural pollution’


After the exports began, the company contracted to transport the waste, Gamber Logistics, told the Times that the measure was “not sustainable” – at least in part owing to unnecessary transport emissions. The company claimed that when this was put to Avara, it responded by saying it needed “to draw a line in the sand” on river pollution.

TBIJ has learned that the export of Avara’s poultry litter out of the Wye catchment was discussed with the Environment Agency prior to starting.

Internal documents relating to meetings held between the regulator and the company in 2022 and 2023 list “export” as one possible solution, alongside processing litter in anaerobic digestion plants.

Environment Agency officials noted there had been “lost opportunities” in tackling the wider pollution issue due to a lack of data sharing and collaboration between Avara and the agency.

In Northern Ireland, documents first obtained by TBIJ revealed that poultry producer Moy Park had exported thousands of tonnes of bird litter across the border into Ireland and has sent waste consignments as far afield as Fife and Norfolk.

O’Donovan of Leigh Day warned that despite the attention focused on the River Wye, it was “just one of the many UK rivers currently under threat from agricultural pollution”.

Avara disputed Sustain and Friends of the Earth’s figures but did not comment further.

Moy Park also disputed the figures. A spokesperson said: “The poultry industry is highly regulated and we operate to exacting welfare, bio-security and environmental standards. We work closely with our supply chain and farming partners to deliver best practice against these standards.”

The company said it has a strategy for dealing with animal litter that meets all legal requirements. It added that it ensures waste is disposed of responsibly, including at sites in Fife and Norfolk, which it said were approved incinerators.


Main image: Slurry being spread by truck in Lancashire. Credit: Wayne Hutchinson/Farm Images/Universal Images Group via Getty


Reporters: Andrew Wasley
Environment editor: Robert Soutar
Deputy editors: Chrissie Giles and Katie Mark
Editor: Franz Wild
Production editors: Alex Hess and Emily Goddard
Fact checker: Ero Partsakoulaki
Impact producer: Grace Murray

Our Food and Farming project is partly funded by the Montpelier Foundation and partly by the Hollick Family Foundation. None of our funders have any influence over our editorial decisions or output