Uncovering Factory Farming: A 35-Year Reflection

While clearing out my office today, I stumbled upon a piece of history—a front-page newspaper cutting from the Daily Mirror in 1989. Seeing it again after all these years brought back vivid memories of my earliest days as an investigator, and it struck me just how relevant its message remains today.

In the late 1980s, I worked independently with a small group of like-minded individuals who shared a belief in the power of imagery to create change. Together, we carried out the first undercover investigations into factory farming in the UK and Europe. These efforts were groundbreaking at the time. With little precedent to guide us, we entered farms, captured evidence, and brought the hidden cruelty of factory farming into public view.

One investigations culminated in a Daily Mirror article that made the front page 35 years ago. The piece was hard-hitting, exposing the suffering and dangers of intensive pig farming. The editorial comment alongside it remains etched in my mind:

"Factory Farming at its most intense has always caused unnecessary suffering. But what the Daily Mirror exposes on pages 1 and 5 goes beyond suffering. It is a cruelty who nobody hasn’t seen it can imagine... They are born and reared in the dark and dirt. They are pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. But that isn’t the worst of it. They are the next potential food poisoning timebomb. It could explode soon... Left to themselves, there are farmers who will stop at nothing to make a profit... We need more research into diseases, more controls over intensive farming, an end to cruelty. We need it before we are all pig sick."

This article was a rallying cry, bringing the horrors of factory farming into living rooms across the country. It sparked outrage and dialogue at a time when these practices were largely hidden from public scrutiny. For those of us behind the investigation, it felt like a pivotal moment—a sign that change was within reach.

Yet, 35 years on, the message of that editorial is heartbreakingly relevant. Despite decades of activism, awareness campaigns, and investigative work, the cruelty of factory farming persists. Animals continue to suffer in dark, overcrowded conditions. Intensive farming practices still prioritize profit over welfare, human health, and the environment.

What has changed, however, is the growing global movement to end this cruelty. More people than ever are questioning the ethics of factory farming, opting for plant-based diets, and demanding accountability from those in power. It gives me hope that the change we fought for 35 years ago is closer than ever—but we cannot lose momentum.

The evidence is clear: factory farming is not only an ethical issue but also a public health and environmental crisis. To prevent further suffering, exploitation, and risk, we must act decisively. Each one of us has a role to play—whether through our choices as consumers, our voices as advocates, or our actions as changemakers.

Let this reminder from the past inspire us to continue the fight for a kinder, more sustainable future. As the Daily Mirror warned all those years ago, we must act before we are all "Pig sick."