A study led by the University of Exeter uncovers that intensive livestock farming may increase the risk of emerging pandemics, emphasizing the need to consider social, economic and political factors in disease risk assessments.
Intensive livestock farming might elevate the risk of new pandemics, researchers from the University of Exeter have found. Traditionally, industrial farming has been believed to reduce zoonotic disease risks due to better control and biosecurity measures. However, the new study reveals that social and economic factors, often overlooked in traditional assessments, may significantly influence disease emergence.
The research, led by Steve Hinchliffe, a professor of geography at the University of Exeter, sheds light on the multifaceted risks associated with intensive livestock farming.
“The COVID-19 pandemic reignited interest in EIDs, especially zoonotic viruses. The risks of emergence and transmission depend on multiple factors, including contact between humans and animals, and how we use land,” Hinchliffe said in a news release.
“Livestock farming plays a potentially significant role in those risks, shaping landscapes and providing hosts that can act as the source or amplifiers of emerging pathogens,” he added.
While most assessments focus on microbiological, ecological and veterinary sciences, this study underscores the importance of incorporating social, economic and political dynamics.
“Disease is always more than a matter of pathogen transmission, contact and contagion,” Hinchliffe added.
The study identifies that despite the intention to separate livestock from wildlife, real-world conditions often lead to breaches.
“[T]hese farms exist in the real world – so buildings and fences can get damaged, wildlife like rats or wild birds can get in, and workers move around. In short, there will always be accidents,” said Hinchliffe. “Once social, economic and political factors are taken into account, the pandemic risk posed by intensive farming is concerning.”
The research emphasizes the environmental degradation and “mixed landscapes” driven by agricultural intensification as significant contributors to emerging infectious disease (EID) risks. It points out that varied farming practices create a precarious scenario for disease proliferation.
In terms of biosecurity, the findings suggest that economic constraints and regional variations in farm infrastructure present challenges. European farms, for instance, may have old and costly-to-maintain buildings, while large U.S. farms often use open-air structures that aren’t fully bio-contained. Subtropical farms balance biosecurity with the need to prevent animal overheating.
Moreover, the study raises concerns about the close ties between large food companies and national authorities, hinting at potential “regulatory capture” and challenges in separating interests.
“Increasing on-farm biosecurity, standardization and efficiency in farm animal production is not the panacea for achieving a disease-free environment,” Kin Wing (Ray) Chan, co-author and Wellcome Research Fellow at the University of Exeter, said in the news release. “Rather, we need to reconsider the socio-cultural impacts of intensifying farm animal production on planetary health, environmental sustainability and animal welfare issues.”