By Selwyn Duke
The British pork industry is collapsing, and it’s a story that should serve as a warning to all of us. Why? Because the agents of its demise have the entire West in their crosshairs.
The numbers are staggering. With a pig herd halved during the last decade, Britain has gone from producing 110 percent of its domestic consumption of pork to only 40 percent. This is due to many of the nation’s pig farmers having left the business, and they’re poised to be joined by 100 more this year, which represents “10% of Britain's small to medium-sized producers,” reports the Guardian. Consequently, it’s predicted that domestic production will decline another 20 percent by Christmas.
Britain’s pork farmers’ woes have been worsened by the droughts in the United States, which have increased the cost of feed. But what’s the source of their underlying problems? If you guessed government, go to the head of the class. As the Financial Times writes, “UK farmers are part of a global trend as the cost of feed and compliance with welfare regulations hits suppliers worldwide.”
The “regulations” in question are animal-welfare regulations....
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