EXETER, UK – A recent study by researchers from the University of Exeter and several international institutions has raised alarm over the potential pandemic risks associated with intensive livestock farming.
The study, published in the Royal Society Open Science journal, highlights that the intensification of agriculture, while aimed at maximizing production, could inadvertently increase the emergence of zoonotic diseases—infectious diseases that jump from animals to humans.
Factory farming, or intensive animal farming, involves raising large numbers of animals in confined spaces to maximize production at minimal cost.
According to World Animal Protection-Kenya, this method is prevalent in modern agriculture.
Despite claims that industrialized farming reduces zoonotic disease risks through better control, biosecurity, and livestock separation, the new study suggests otherwise.
Led by Professor Steve Hinchliffe from the University of Exeter, the research team examined the socio-economic and political factors that influence zoonosis emergence, factors often overlooked in traditional assessments focusing on microbiological and ecological perspectives.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has reignited interest in emerging infectious diseases, particularly zoonotic viruses,” said Professor Hinchliffe. “The risks of emergence and transmission depend on multiple factors, including contact between humans and animals and how we use land. Livestock farming plays a potentially significant role in these risks, shaping landscapes and providing hosts that can act as sources or amplifiers of emerging pathogens.”
The study found that the expansion of intensive farming and resulting environmental degradation create a “mixed landscape” of various farming practices, increasing the risk of zoonotic diseases.
The researchers pointed out that intensive farming’s founding principle—separating livestock from wildlife to prevent disease transmission—does not hold up in practice.
Wildlife can breach farm defenses, and human activity within farms can lead to accidental exposures.
Co-author Dr. Kin Chan emphasized that simply increasing on-farm biosecurity, standardization, and efficiency is not a viable solution for a disease-free environment.
“We need to reconsider the socio-cultural impacts of intensifying farm animal production on planetary health, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare issues,” he said.
