There have been numerous exposés of the conditions in factory farms, where livestock are crammed together by the hundreds of thousands. But anthropologist Alex Blanchette argues that animal agribusiness, rather than being a sordid, exceptional case, has represented the cutting edge of capitalist industry for more than one hundred years. He discusses the exploitation of both animals and humans at a massive pork complex in the Midwest, where seven million hogs are raised and slaughtered each year. (Encore presentation.)
Resources:
Alex Blanchette, Porkopolis: American Animality, Standardized Life, and the Factory Farm Duke University Press, 2020
photo: Jo-Anne McArthur via Unsplash