EGENIS seminar: "Post-ASF Chinese Corporate Pig Farms: Pathogenic Risk and Toxicity of Labour Health ", Dr Kin Wing (Ray) Chan (The Royal Agricultural University)
Egenis seminar series
Between 2018 and 2019, the deadly African Swine Fever (ASF) virus swept through China, drastically reducing the domestic pig population by approximately 225 million. In response, corporate pig farms have intensified their biosecurity practices, particularly through the extensive use of disinfectants. Recent studies indicate that disinfectants are not only hazardous to human and animal health but may also disrupt the human microbiome and contribute to the spread of antibiotic-resistance genes.
| An Egenis, the Centre for the Study of Life Sciences seminar | |
|---|---|
| Date | 24 March 2025 |
| Time | 15:30 to 17:00 |
| Place | Hybrid |
Event details
Drawing on these insights and my ethnographic research within corporate pig farms, this paper constructs a geography of toxicity by examining the embodied practices and perceptions of workers who live and work on these farms. It explores how farm work routines and the politics of human and animal health have evolved in the context of the ASF crisis in China. This paper argues that the persistent use of disinfectants has produced harmful One Health impacts on humans, pigs, and the surrounding environment by altering microbial ecologies through horizontal gene transfer, depleting microbiomes, and increasing the pathogenicity of resistant microorganisms. While farmworkers recognize the adverse effects of routine disinfectant use, they acclimate to the toxic environment in order to sustain their livelihoods. Farmworkers are aware of the negative impacts associated with the mundane use of disinfectant; however, they choose to attune their bodies to live within the toxic environment in exchange for wages to make a living.
Venue Byrne House (spaces limited)
Virtual via Zoom
Free to attend. Register here
