PIGS & PROSPERITY ▶▶▶


Protests for progress R


ebellion against authorities: the planetary constellations predict much of that for 2021. You can dismiss it, but forewarned is forearmed. After all, since the end of 2020 you may have noticed it in the news. In many countries, large-scale protests were happening and still are,


mostly against government decisions or government leaders. Mass protests are occurring in so many countries that it is insufficient to mention, for example, only Belarus or Myanmar. Instead, citizens from countries across Latin America, Europe and Asia are standing up for their rights. In India, tens of thousands of farmers, with protests reaching hundreds of thou- sands at their peak, have already been protesting for several months against government decisions. The government sees reforms as the revitalisation of ag- riculture, whereas farmers fear that large companies will crush smaller farmers. With all the changes going on, it would not be a surprise to see an uprising in pig farming as well. After all, there is enough to be angry about for many pig farmers. A recent news documentary showed the situation for pig farmers in the UK un- der Brexit. Due to difficulties with exports, an estimated 100,000 pigs in the UK that should have gone for slaughter are now stuck at farms. They are rapidly get- ting too fat to meet slaughterhouse demands, and lack of pig spaces at the farms leaves the farmers in despair. The reporter concluded that “big fat pigs are a big fat problem”. Protests arise from a desire for a better situation, based on a vision of how things should be. Mass protests indicate a shared vision that a situation should change. Before joining the nearest rebellion movement, it is good to think critically about what the desired situation really is. What is worth fighting for? And what can you do to improve the situation? If something has to change, then envision exactly how it should change. This is an invitation to take time to contemplate the future of pig farming. If pig farmers protested en masse for change… and won, how then would they de- sign the future industry? For example, a desired future may be one where pig farmers get a fair price for their products and can farm in a sustainable manner without being heavily constrained by regulations and financial pressure. Unfortunately, we are not there yet. A recent Dutch documentary looked critically at the role that banks play in agriculture. It revealed that banks are extremely reluctant to financially support farmers who choose to transition into organic farming or other more sustainable system. While the government actively encourages sustainability and entre- preneurship, for example, with a new EU Green Deal, the sector may not move forward as envisioned – at least, not until the whole sys- tem changes. Thus, if anger leads people to stand up for their rights, it should be used wisely and strategically with a clear vision of the desired future.


Irene Camerlink is an interdisci- plinary researcher focusing on pig behaviour, welfare and pro- duction. She is attached to the Polish Academy of Sciences.


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▶ PIG PROGRESS | Volume 37, No. 3, 2021


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