First published 2016
Barry Estabrook investigates the American pork industry from farm to slaughterhouse. The New York Times bestselling author of Tomatoland combines personal pig-raising experience with investigative reporting. He hunts feral pigs at night in Texas. He tours massive confinement facilities operated by Smithfield and Tyson. Estabrook reveals how intelligent animals capable of learning computer operations and dog commands faster than canines live in squalid conditions on drug-supplemented feed until reaching slaughter weight. The book exposes threats of disease and food contamination within industrial production. Yet Estabrook also profiles alternative approaches. He examines Danish producers using environmentally friendly methods. He visits small American family farms raising heritage breeds on pasture without antibiotics. These humane systems work for producers, consumers, and top chefs alike. Through field reporting and scientific research, Estabrook demonstrates how pork production could respect both animal welfare and human health.
Genres: animals, social-issues, agriculture, non-fiction, investigative-journalism, food-and-drink
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-reporting, personal-experience
Setting: Texas, Denmark, United States
Period: 21st-century
336 pages · Paperback · W. W. Norton & Company