Exclusive: How Big Pork takes money from small farmers — then uses it to lobby against them
Russ Kremer is a longtime hog farmer in the Missouri Ozarks, where his 2,000 pigs have plenty of space to roam on his 150 acres. He doesn’t feed them antibiotics, and you won’t find a single animal in a cage. Kremer is decidedly anti-industrial hog farming. Whenever he sends his pigs to slaughter, like every […]
Russ Kremer, a hog farmer in Missouri's Ozarks, takes pride in his 2,000 pigs having ample space and a humane lifestyle. He doesn't feed them antibiotics and keeps them from being caged. Like every American hog farmer, Kremer contributes 35 cents for every $100 in sales to the National Pork Board. Initially, this group aimed to promote pork consumption and research.
However, financial records have revealed that $66 million has shifted — through trademark and real estate deals — from the National Pork Board to the National Pork Producers Council, a lobbying group. This move has raised concerns about the group exploiting loopholes and violating the law. Smaller farmers, such as Kremer, who focus on humane and sustainable farming, feel their contributions are being misused to support industrialized meat corporations.
The National Pork Producers Council, over the past 70 years, has spent nearly $45 million on federal lobbying, focusing on policies that benefit large-scale hog production, such as antibiotic restrictions and pollution regulations. Critics argue that this financial diversion is akin to a "kick in the groin" for small, more responsible farmers.
Written by urgent.news from Vox's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
