The purpose of this page is to articulate the changes in Mexican industrial practices as a result of new economic changes brought on by NAFTA. In particular we will address GRAIN, an international non-government organization promoting sustainable management and use of agricultural biodiversity, and its claim that “the rise of large-scale factory farms in North America has created the perfect breeding grounds for the emergence and spread of new highly-virulent strains of influenza.”

We first begin with an explanation of the conditions of existence that laid the foundation for swine flu to emerge out of factory farms in the first place. Before World War II, poultry and pigs were basically farmed in backyard operations across the United States. So we’re talking about poultry flocks of the size of seventy chickens. However, after the war, these independent farming operations became absorbed the control of corporations. As Wallace declares, "After the livestock revolution, poultry and pigs were now being grown and raised in much larger populations, so we go from seventy poultry now up to populations of 30,000 at a time. So we have cities of pigs and poultry."

Specifically in the case of Mexico, the company of Smithfield Foods will be examined. Here is their introduction video about their company and services. 

Right away we can identify that their motto is their claim of producing good food responsibly. As they have declared, Smithfield Foods is the largest producer of pork products in the world. That being said, how does the business proceed in a manner that matches industry standards and demands while remaining ethical? In the next video, the company highlights how the produce their food with the humane conditions. 

However, in response to Smithfield's claims of responsible farming, an undercover investigation of a Smithfield Farm reveals otherwise. [Warning: Potentially Graphic Images]