Intensive farming raises pandemic risks

Ever noticed how, in the face of a crisis, we tend to rethink our choices, scrutinize our practices, and reassess the impact of our actions on the world around us? The COVID-19 pandemic has instigated a worldwide introspection. One area that has come under the microscope recently is industrialized or intensive farming.

A team of researchers from the University of Exeter has carefully examined the relationship between intensive farming and the risk of future pandemics. The team was led by Professor Steve Hinchliffe.

Double-edged sword of intensive farming

The typical narrative around industrialized farming is that it actually helps curb the risk of zoonotic diseases. These are diseases that jump the species barrier from animals to humans. 

The logic is simple: intensive farming utilizes better control mechanisms, implements stringent biosecurity measures, and separates livestock from the wild, which in theory limits disease transmission. But, is this really the case?

Risks of intensive farming

After meticulously scrutinizing a variety of social and economic factors that usually get side-stepped in conventional risk assessments, the findings presented by Professor Hinchliffe’s team shed a different light. 

Far from alleviating the risk, industrialized farming might be inadvertently cranking up the odds of an emerging infectious disease (EID), possibly unleashing new pandemics upon us.

“The risks of emergence and transmission of diseases depend on multiple factors, including contact between humans and animals, and how we use land. Livestock farming plays a potentially significant role in those risks, shaping landscapes and providing hosts that can act as the source or amplifiers of emerging pathogens,” said Professor Hinchliffe.

Disease: More than just pathogens 

Disease is a multifaceted phenomenon. The narrative cannot just revolve around pathogens, transmission vectors, or the microbiological aspects. It’s a chain reaction set into motion by a nexus of social, economic, and political factors along with ecological and biological elements.

“The founding myth in intensive farming is that we separate livestock from wildlife and thereby shut off the risk of diseases passing between them,” noted Professor Hinchliffe.

“But these farms exist in the real world – so buildings and fences can get damaged, wildlife like rats or wild birds can get in, and workers move around.”

“In short, there will always be accidents. Once social, economic, and political factors are taken into account, the pandemic risk posed by intensive farming is concerning.”

Mixed bag of intensive farming

Intensive farming often leads to the creation of a “mixed landscape” – a hodgepodge of farming practices and types, which inadvertently creates an environment conducive to EID risk. 

Variations in regional farm structures, cost implications, and subtropical housing conditions can all contribute to a far-from-contained biosecurity environment.

The team also observed closely entwined relationships between large food corporations and national authorities, which, in some cases, resulted in “regulatory capture… and the difficulty of decoupling interests.”

“Increasing on-farm biosecurity, standardization, and efficiency in farm animal production is not the panacea for achieving a disease-free environment,” noted co-author Dr. Kin Wing (Ray) Chan.

“Rather we need to reconsider the socio-cultural impacts of intensifying farm animal production on planetary health, environmental sustainability and animal welfare issues.”

Shift in perspective

Reevaluating our farming practices is imperative to reduce the pandemic risks posed by intensive farming.

This means promoting sustainable, eco-friendly methods that consider all factors involved. A multi-faceted approach is needed to ensure a safer, healthier future for both people and the planet.

This research was a collaborative effort with scholars from Tufts University, Royal Agricultural University, University of Wollongong, Clark University, Cambridge Conservation Initiative, and the Institute of Development Studies. 

Additionally, funders of the study included the Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health and the Wellcome Trust.

It’s time for us to assess our farming practices. It’s not just about producing more efficiently. It’s also about understanding the far-reaching implications of our choices. So, are we ready for a change?

The paper titled ““Understanding the roles of economy and society in the relative risks of zoonosis emergence from livestock,” is published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

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