Most pigs in the EU are kept in Spain. But agriculture there is criticized for scandalous conditions in companies. Now there is a new case.
Three years ago, the then Spanish Minister for Consumer Protection warned that meat of “poor quality from mistreated animals” often comes from Spain. As soon as Alberto Garzón confided his thoughts to a British newspaper, conservatives sensed a “crusade against meat.” The Social Democratic Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez himself felt compelled to tell the country: “For me, a medium-rare steak is unbeatable.”
For the time being, calm returned to the pans of Spain. But now meat and quality are being discussed again. The Spanish online newspaper elDiario.es reports on a “new horror farm” near Burgos, a good 200 kilometers north of Madrid.
Rats and maggots in the stable
Again it’s about tortured pigs, again about authorities who obviously don’t take decisive action – as was the case before ARDstudio in Madrid with revealed. Last November, images of animals sharing pens with rats and maggots were leaked to the studio. Some scenes show dead pigs being eaten by others. Carcasses in a forest behind the farm show that many pigs must have died before slaughter.
However, when asked, the responsible regional ministry of agriculture in Valladolid stated that there were controls in November 2023. “At this time, nothing irregular was found on the farm in question so no action could be taken.” Although a judicial investigation is ongoing, research shows that pigs are still being kept on the farm.
“Destructive System”
For environmentalists, the scandals are not isolated cases. Luis Ferreira, an expert at Greenpeace, says: “Undoubtedly, behind these positions there is an intention to defend all ranchers, all farmers. But that is not what is happening. What is being defended is large companies that continue to profit from a completely destructive model.” A model based on the exploitation of animals.
Pig farming is a global market, explains Andreas Winkler, spokesman for the consumer organization Foodwatch. “Whoever produces the cheapest can sell the most meat. And better animal husbandry is simply a cost barrier and ultimately a competitive disadvantage.”
Germany as an important customer
While the number of pigs in Germany has decreased in recent years, the number in Spain has risen sharply – by around 35 percent within ten years, according to the European statistics agency Eurostat. Spain is the European champion in pig breeding. Germany is an important customer. Imports of Spanish pork rose by around 25 percent within a year to 64,000 tons last year.
Luis Ferreira does not expect any improvement in the province of Castilla y León, where the two scandalous farms described are located. The regional agriculture minister is provided by the right-wing far-right party VOX. “And we see that right-wing movements are pushing for deregulation in all areas of legislation that serve to protect nature.”
Too much nitrate in the water
However, the EU has also been looking at Spain for some time now. In many places, increasing pig farming is apparently polluting waterways more than permitted. On March 14, the European Court of Justice criticized excessive nitrate levels in the water. “Spain must now inform the Commission what measures it has taken or intends to take to implement the judgment,” says Commission spokeswoman Maëlys Dreux.
The former Minister of Consumer Protection, Alberto Garzón, was primarily concerned with environmental protection when he spoke about meat consumption. Industrial meat production not only pollutes water bodies, but also causes the emission of greenhouse gases, which accelerates climate change. And all of this is a danger to the “vital tourism industry” in Spain. This part of his thoughts was largely lost in the heated discussion, which some immediately declared a culture war.