They denounce the attempt to greenwashing in the pork meat industry from the Complutense University of Madrid. The Stop Industrial Livestock Coordinator denounces the attempted greenwashing of the pork meat industry, which sponsors training on the sustainability of the sector at the Complutense University of Madrid. The prevailing industrial agricultural and livestock model is responsible for an important part of the greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution due to excess nitrates.
The Porcine Agri-Food Interprofessional (INTERPORC) has announced a summer course at the Complutense University of Madrid entitled “Communication and sustainability in the pig sector” to convey “the true reality of the white pork sector in Spain.”
In the course advertising, INTERPORC announces that the agenda will address “how to combat false stories and fake news through the communication of the triple sustainability of the pork sector and its world leadership in animal welfare and biosecurity”.
For the Stop Industrial Livestock Coordinatorsaid advertising is “greenwashing de libro“, in which the meat industry “intends to explain to professionals in the sector and communication, among other people, that a good part of society has a very distorted image of the pork sector, confused by false myths that associate production and pork products with an image of the past that does not represent their reality.”
As social organizations point out, This is not the first time in the EU that the pig industry has resorted to greenwashing. Recently, the Danish pork giant, Danish Crown, admitted before the Supreme Court of Denmark to having carried out greenwashing because, with its advertising, it had confused consumers with advertisements and messages about meat that was supposedly “more climate-friendly than believe”, in a manipulation exercise to present their products as green, when they are not.
For all this, the Stop Industrial Livestock Coordinator has requested the Complutense University of Madrid the withdrawal from this coursewhich considers that “it should not be introduced into the training offer at a prestigious public university.”
According to the organizations that are part of the state coordinator, the reality that they do not want to expose is that “meat consumption in Spain is well above the FAO recommendations, 100 kg instead of 21.” Likewise, they remember that in Spain “there are more pigs than people, we continue to be leaders in the EU with the record number of 58,600,000 pigs slaughtered in 2021 and a serious problem of water contamination due to excessive use of fertilizers.”
Furthermore, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that this agri-food model is responsible for 12% of global emissions, according to its report “Pathways towards lower emissions.” , and urges an urgent mitigation strategy.
Regarding water pollution, a recent study shows how 37% of surface water and 11% of groundwater in the Spanish State are contaminated by excess nitrates. Inma Lozano, spokesperson for Coordinadora Stop Ganadería Industrial, recalled that Spain has failed to comply with Community legislation relating to water quality: “In fact, the European Commission has opened infringement procedures that could involve million-dollar fines. The measures taken so far are insufficient, with 171 municipalities where water cannot be consumed because it is contaminated.”
We need a radical transformation of food systems to guarantee the right to healthy, local food, which does not depend on fossil fuels and allows a healthy diet for all people and on the entire planet.