The Threat of Avian and Swine Flu

Mike Davis’s book entitled The Monster at Our Door explains his view on the pandemic of the avian flu. He asserts that the underlying cause of this virus lies in industrialized pork and poultry production in which thousands of animals are bred in close quarters. This issue stemmed from developed countries’ demand for meat and developing countries’ response in the form of large-scale farms. Because of this sway in the economy, many small farms have been shut down, only to have the larger corporations consolidate their manufacturing plants. He calls this new development “production density” and blames the incredible speed of transmitted diseases on the close contact between animals. Furthermore, Davis makes the observation that “the superurbanization of the human population…has been paralleled by and equally dense urbanization of its meat supply.” (84)

Since we have linked fatal viruses to our ever-increasing demand for meat, would it be possible to eliminate the threat of swine or avian flu by changing the system that has brought us these plagues? But is it even possible to return to the safer small-farm ways? I do not think that the world will “unindrialize” itself and lessen its demand for meat by changing society’s eating habits. However, maybe there is a way to better control outbreaks of viruses around the globe since these situations are aggravated by mass-distribution long-distance transportation of food.