This disturbing article was brought to my attention in The Independent (UK) - "Revealed: the cruelty of UK's pork suppliers, Investigation exposes conditions that drive distressed pigs to cannibalism."

I'd like to think that factory farming is less prevalent in other countries. That somehow we have messed up here, but that there is still a chance to avert the move to factory farms around the world. The more work we do with Food & Water Watch and the more we are contacted about The Meatrix in other languages, the more clear it becomes that we are facing the same issues everywhere.

From the article: "Investigators from Compassion in World Farming found 80 per cent of farms across five European countries engaging in illegal practices such as barren pens and routine tail-docking.

In one of the biggest undercover inquiries into pig-farming, CIWF visited 60 farms across five big pork-producing states, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Hungary and Britain.

In 48 farms, farmers had cut the tails off pigs to stop them biting each other, despite EU rules restricting tail-docking. Some 47 failed to provide anything for the pigs to root around in, despite an EU requirement to provide "environmental enrichment" such as straw. Most farms made widespread but legal use of metal cages for confining pregnant pigs. Overall, Spain had the worst conditions, followed by the Netherlands, Germany, Hungary and Britain."

We know that in all these countries, people like us are working hard to fight these situations. For example, Jamie Oliver will tackle pig factory farming next month on Channel 4 in the UK - he also recently took on the horrors of chicken factory farms. And Russell Gibbons, the friend who brought this article to my attention, is working in Mexico City with children, to teach them about food and cooking. He shares The Meatrix with them and they discuss the implications of industrial agriculture. Then in conjunction with the viewing, they hold "Dia Sabrositos" (Tasty Days), where they teach the kids how to cook.  More than 100 students and their parents attended the most recent Dia Sabarositos - and they are planning another in the spring! Thanks Russell and Cristina!