What Pigs Can Teach Us About Human Health and Sustainability | Charles Mayfield

Pig Farming Industry & Historical Context - Pigs, introduced to North America in the 1400s-1500s, were once intimately familiar to everyone [1] - In the last century, pigs have faced numerous challenges, jeopardizing their contributions [2] - The perception of pigs needs to change, recognizing their contributions to medicine, farming, culinary arts, and skincare [4] - From the 1970s, the pork industry transitioned to concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), turning pigs from heroes into villains [8] Medical Contributions - Galen, a famous doctor, credited much of his understanding of the human body to pigs through public dissections [5] - Up until the last decade, nearly every surgeon trained using pigs [6] - Pigs provide hormones and fluids for medical care, including heparin, insulin, and bile extracts [6] - Pig parts are used in heart valve replacements [6] - John's Hopkins was awarded over $21 million to advance pig organ viability for addressing the organ donor shortage [7] Farming & Sustainability - 986% of pork in the US is raised in factory farms, depriving pigs of sunshine, exercise, clean air, and water [7] - Pig manure, a valuable soil input, is transformed into toxic sludge in CAFOs, poisoning air and water [9] - Pigs' rooting behavior is essential and not solely tied to hunger [9] - Factory farming on concrete denies pigs this essential function [10] Culinary & Nutritional Aspects - The industry should look beyond bacon and consider nose-to-tail cooking [11] - Culinary roots are in lard, not tallow, but Crisco replaced lard in popularity [12] - World War II rationing further diminished lard's use [13] - Pastured pork lard is less prone to oxidation and has a better omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio [14] Skincare Applications - Pig skin and fat have historically been used for wound care and skin treatments [16] - The skincare industry is dominated by a vegan ethos, despite crop agriculture causing the deaths of over 18% billion wild animals annually [16] - Lard from pasture-raised pigs closely matches the lipid matrix of human skin [19] - Lard is non-comedogenic and deemed safe for cosmetic use in 2017 [20] Ethical Considerations & Future Actions - For many pigs, the only good day is the day their life ends [21] - The industry needs to increase pastured pork production from 1-2% to 5-10% in the coming decade [22] - Consumers can request pastured pork at grocery stores or find local farmers [22][23]