More Hogs than Humans

There are more hogs than humans in the state of North Carolina. Hogs also produce 5x more waste than humans. Each day, North Carolina hogs produce 40M gallons of untreated, exposed, highly toxic hog manure on the coastal plain. This waste ends up downstream, in our waterways, our soils and in our ocean. This work explores these issues and the need for real leadership and change. After initial publishing in 2013, the largest pork producer in NC, Smithfield Foods was bought by the government of China, China Inc. This multi-billion-dollar transaction was the first time China was to purchase a wholly-owned company of this size on American soil. The sale was so unprecedented and was such a concern for national security, it had to be decided by Washington DC lawmakers, and they voted to let it happen. Today, roughly 70% of the pork produced in the U.S. is owned and managed by the Chinese government. The social and economic fallout from this transaction will be measured for decades. The owners and execs walked away with billions, while the residents of Smithfield, NC and Smithfield, VA were left to wonder how their American dream had been sold to the highest bidder. We need change.