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Documentary on intensive pig farming faces legal threatBuzz up!

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Judith Soal guardian.co.uk, Friday 29 May 2009 18.53 BST Article

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Filmmaker, Tracy Worcester, with a pig as seen in the documentary

 

A documentary about intensive pig farming due to be screened at the

Guardian Hay festival on Sunday is facing a legal threat from one of

the companies it investigates. Pig Business criticises the practices

of the world's largest pork processor, Smithfield Foods, claiming it

is responsible for environmental pollution and health problems among

residents near its factories.

 

The film was due to be broadcast on Channel 4 in February but was

cancelled because of legal fears. A planned screening at the Frontline

Club in London earlier this year was also called off.

 

On Wednesday London's Barbican centre was forced to delay a screening

of the film after Smithfield's lawyers wrote a letter saying that the

film was defamatory and included untrue claims. The show went ahead

when the filmmaker, Tracy Worcester, signed an indemnity taking

personal responsibility for its content.

 

A spokesman for Smithfield said that the company had never threatened

to sue the filmmaker or tried to prevent the film being screened, but

had requested that inaccuracies or false allegations be removed.

 

He would not say whether the Hay screening would be stopped, as

Smithfield had not yet viewed the re-edited film.

 

Smithfield controls more than a quarter of the processed pork market

in the US, and is expanding in the UK and Europe. It slaughtered 26m

pigs in 2006, with sales of $11.4bn (£7.6bn) and profits of $421m.

 

Pig Business shows the cramped conditions in which pigs are reared,

similar to those of battery hens, and claims that waste is

inadequately disposed off, leaking into the surrounding environment.

 

Worcester interviewed people who live near Smithfield farms in the US,

where the company started out, who complain of health problems

including asthma and digestive illnesses, and fishermen who report

that stocks have been destroyed.

 

The film documents the company's move to Poland, where locals claim to

experience similar health problems.

 

Worcester, who spent four years making the film, said: " It's crucial

that consumers are able to watch this so they know what is being done

to their food. "

 

Smithfield's poor environmental record was documented in Felicity

Lawrence's book Eat Your Heart Out, where she notes that the company

was fined $12.6m for illegally discharging pollutants into the Pagan

river in Virginia.

 

Smithfield admits that mistakes were made in its US farms, but says

that it has since improved its environmental record. The company

refutes claims that pigs are mistreated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“We now know that a neo-conservative is an arsonist who sets the house on fire

and six years later boasts that no one can put it out.†- Bill Moyers

[Guest guest]



That's interesting. Aren't Smithfields the one that owns the pig farms around the outbreak of swine flu in Mexico?

 

 

BBJo

 

 

-

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Saturday, May 30, 2009 3:54 PM

what would Napoleon and Snowball do?

 

 

Documentary on intensive pig farming faces legal threatBuzz up!Digg itJudith Soal guardian.co.uk, Friday 29 May 2009 18.53 BST ArticlehistoryFilmmaker, Tracy Worcester, with a pig as seen in the documentaryA documentary about intensive pig farming due to be screened at theGuardian Hay festival on Sunday is facing a legal threat from one ofthe companies it investigates. Pig Business criticises the practicesof the world's largest pork processor, Smithfield Foods, claiming itis responsible for environmental pollution and health problems amongresidents near its factories.The film was due to be broadcast on Channel 4 in February but wascancelled because of legal fears. A planned screening at the FrontlineClub in London earlier this year was also called off.On Wednesday London's Barbican centre was forced to delay a screeningof the film after Smithfield's lawyers wrote a letter saying that thefilm was defamatory and included untrue claims. The show went aheadwhen the filmmaker, Tracy Worcester, signed an indemnity takingpersonal responsibility for its content.A spokesman for Smithfield said that the company had never threatenedto sue the filmmaker or tried to prevent the film being screened, buthad requested that inaccuracies or false allegations be removed.He would not say whether the Hay screening would be stopped, asSmithfield had not yet viewed the re-edited film.Smithfield controls more than a quarter of the processed pork marketin the US, and is expanding in the UK and Europe. It slaughtered 26mpigs in 2006, with sales of $11.4bn (£7.6bn) and profits of $421m.Pig Business shows the cramped conditions in which pigs are reared,similar to those of battery hens, and claims that waste isinadequately disposed off, leaking into the surrounding environment.Worcester interviewed people who live near Smithfield farms in the US,where the company started out, who complain of health problemsincluding asthma and digestive illnesses, and fishermen who reportthat stocks have been destroyed.The film documents the company's move to Poland, where locals claim toexperience similar health problems.Worcester, who spent four years making the film, said: "It's crucialthat consumers are able to watch this so they know what is being doneto their food."Smithfield's poor environmental record was documented in FelicityLawrence's book Eat Your Heart Out, where she notes that the companywas fined $12.6m for illegally discharging pollutants into the Paganriver in Virginia.Smithfield admits that mistakes were made in its US farms, but saysthat it has since improved its environmental record. The companyrefutes claims that pigs are mistreated.“We now know that a neo-conservative is an arsonist who sets the house on fire and six years later boasts that no one can put it out.†- Bill Moyers