REUTERS: China’s disease control authority said that contact with frozen food packaging contaminated by living new coronavirus could cause infection... The finding, a world first, suggests it is possible for the virus to be conveyed over long distances via frozen goods, it said... The conclusion came as the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detected and isolated living coronavirus on the outer packaging of frozen cod during efforts to trace the virus in an outbreak reported last week in the city of Qingdao, the agency said on its website... Two dock workers in Qingdao…

BETTINA MAKALINTAL: As shoppers have cut back on animal products — whether due to environmental concerns, health issues, or an ethical stance against animal cruelty—and look for appealing replacements, there's no shortage of companies offering up choices. While dairy alternatives have seen the most stratospheric growth in recent years, meatless options have also seen a surge in popularity as beef and chicken substitutes become more enticing to the mainstream, with a 37.8 percent growth in sales from 2017 to 2019, according to research from the Good Food Institute... It's clear from…

GLENN GREENWALD: Animal agriculture industry groups defending factory farms engage in campaigns of surveillance, reputation destruction, and other forms of retaliation against industry critics and animal rights activists, documents obtained through a FOIA request from the U.S. Department of Agriculture reveal. That the USDA possesses these emails and other documents demonstrates the federal government’s knowledge of, if not participation in, these industry campaigns. These documents detail ongoing monitoring of the social media of news outlets, including The Intercept, which report…

DHARMA NOOR: The mission of U.S. Wildlife Services, an office in the Department of Agriculture (USDA), is “to provide federal leadership and expertise to resolve wildlife conflicts to allow people and wildlife to coexist.” In practice, that means slaughtering animals in droves. New data the USDA released shows that in 2019, the program killed approximately 1.2 million animals native to North America. That includes hundreds of gray wolves, black bears, and bobcats, thousands of red foxes, tens of thousands of beavers, and hundreds of thousands of birds. Fewer than 3,000 of those animals were…

HSI: The sources of pandemics can be as varied as the diseases they represent. This paper examines how pandemic and potentially pandemic zoonotic diseases as well as viruses spread directly from the agricultural environments where animals are used as immediate, intermediate or amplifier hosts. The paper finds that the intensification and industrialization of animal agriculture creates a large, susceptible anti-genically naive population, which nature will exploit. Meeting the demand for animal protein by ramping up intensive production around the world alters viral host dynamics, generating…

GABBY LANDSVERK: The debate over whether to consume animal products, like meat and dairy, or go entirely plant-based (vegan) is a hot-button issue, often filled with vitriol and name-calling online and in real life... A Florida man was recently arrested for allegedly stabbing his cousin after a heated debate about whether whole cow's milk or almond milk is superior... Recently, the term "vegan" has itself been subject to controversy, as more people opting out of animal-products choose to identify as "plant-based" instead to avoid stigma and cultural baggage linked to veganism, said Nicole…

CITY NEWS SERVICE: Some 26 animal rights activists were arrested... as they attempted to shut down operations at the Farmer John slaughterhouse in Vernon... The action was part of a 48-hour vigil outside the plant meant to call attention to what activists say is Farmer John's inhumane treatment of animals, as well as the larger issue of factory farming and its alleged harmful effects on the environment and public health... Six people were arrested on suspicion of trespassing for entering the facility, while another 20 were arrested for alleged public nuisance for blocking trucks from…

WENONAH HAUTER: The COVID-19 pandemic has cracked open animal agriculture’s bucolic façade, revealing giant agribusinesses that control and exploit animals, farmers and workers, and threaten food safety. But the abuses occurring on factory farms and at slaughterhouses may just be the breaking point the food and farming movement needs for advocates to align and finally achieve true systemic change... This month, more than 250 diverse groups came together to support visionary, comprehensive federal legislation called the Farm System Reform Act (FSRA), which offers a roadmap for overhauling…

LUXURIOUS MAGAZINE: There is estimated to be upwards of 75 million vegans worldwide, with many more making the shift to a plant-based lifestyle. Despite this, lots of meat-eaters are still unaware of the action’s vegans take to ensure their diets are not compromised. Interested in uncovering the common misconceptions held by non-vegans, experts at ChewsyGum.com surveyed 3,739 non-vegans around the world to see what they really think! Of the meat-eaters surveyed, a whopping 57% would consider becoming vegan, with only 43% opposing. However, 22% disagree with others leading a vegan lifestyle,…

THIN LEI WIN: Sales of plant-based meats have soared during the pandemic as customers shift diets due to growing unease about factory farming, working conditions in meat-packing plants, and suspicion over a possible link between wild animal meat and COVID-19... Greater concern about such issues may have fueled demand for soy sausages, bean burgers, and other plant-based meats during global coronavirus lockdowns. Between March 21 and June 20, sales of fresh plant-based meat in the United States were up by triple digits every week compared to last year, according to non-profit The Good Food…