The Month in a Minute: September 2022

September saw meat giant JBS payout $20 million for a pork price-fixing settlement, after conspiring with other meat companies to inflate the price of pork. A new report from Nature updated their estimate of how much floating plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch comes from fishing activity, which they now put at 75 to 85 percent. Meanwhile beloved North Atlantic Right Whale “Snow Cone” was sighted entangled in fishing gear and “there is no longer hope for her survival.” While Maine politicians complained after lobsters were placed on the ‘red’ list to save whales.  

Watch all this and more in our September media recap:

Here are the rest of the stories that caught our attention this month: 

Ag Industry

Swiss reject initiative to ban factory farming.  

An investigation found that cattle in the Nestlé supply chain was linked to disputed Indigenous territory. 

In Europe, the Food Safety Authority recommends improvements to animal welfare during transport including more space, lower temperatures and shorter journeys. 

In Spain, all slaughterhouses must now install video cameras. 

In the UK, retailers blocked moves to end the killing of day-old male chicks. 

England saw Animal Rebellion activists disrupt milk supplies. 

World’s biggest meat firm appears to have avoided millions in UK tax. 

Study reveals excessive use of antibiotics in treating poultry. 

‘Really terrible science experiment’ leads to weeks-long spill from NC hog-waste lagoon.

Zoonotic Disease 

In the Netherlands, bird flu continued to spread causing over  3.7 million chickens, ducks and turkeys to be culled after the most serious outbreak ever, while the Dutch city Haarlem will become the world’s first town to ban meat adverts in public. 

Viral Lumpy Skin Disease spreads amongst cattle in India. 

Science

New research shows racoons could be genius masterminds.

There are 2.5 million ants for every human on earth, the New York Times reports. 

Climate 

A new report looking at animal-sourced food consumption and Canada’s emissions targets revealed that Canadians should eat less meat and dairy to reach climate goals. 

A report by World Animal Protection uncovered the climate impact of factory farmed chicken and pigs. 

Survey reveals that Gen Z is unaware of climate impacts of eating meat.  

Research reveals that change in land use across the globe will have a significant environmental impact. 

New study states consumers should replace meat with seafood for a healthier planet. 

Up to 2.65 million farmed animals were killed during floods in Pakistan with 70 million Pakistanis affected.

Entertainment  & Fashion 

This video of a horse collapsing and being whipped led to 71 percent of New Yorkers supporting a horse carriage ban. 

Denmark to allow ‘significantly reduced’ mink production.  

Something Different? 

Merriam-Webster added the terms ‘oat milk’ and ‘plant-based’ to the dictionary.