Swine flu and factory farms

At the onset of the H1N1 epidemic, a WHO scientist told Avaaz that research was needed into the possible role of factory farming in breeding the virus -- but that the industrial meat lobby would continue blocking it unless global civil society stepped up the pressure.

So Avaaz brought a herd of 225 cardboard pigs to the World Health Organization, representing the 225,000 signatures on a petition for adequate research.

Initially, the World Health Organization's Food Safety and Zoonoses director, Dr. Jørgen Schlundt, told us that they had not found a definitive link between the H1N1 virus and a factory farm and that the source was still under investigation.

But he then admitted, amongst other things, that certain companies’ farming practices are dangerous and that the political processes that determine the research and rules on factory farm biosafety are dominated by the industrial meat lobby. He said strong global regulations were essential, but, to date, unless there is a huge scare like BSE and people die, scientists are unable to push through the laws needed to prevent animal borne pandemics.

Avaaz will continue to push hard for increased regulations -- click here to see photos and read the story