In Galicia, in the north-west of Spain, a sentence has arrived that will make school. The Superior Court of Justice has established that the State and the Regional Authorities have violated the fundamental rights of approx 20 thousand citizens of the Municipality of A Limiaforced to live with the consequences of the pollution produced by hundreds of intensive pigs of pigs present in the area.
According to the Court, the institutions have “failed in their duty to protect public health“, Allowing the contamination of the Water basin of AS ConChas and the surrounding areas. A very serious negligence, which has put the daily life of an entire community at risk, guilty only to live next to one of the most polluting sectors in Europe: the meat industry.
“We can no longer open the windows”
Everything started from the complaint of Seven residentssupported by local environmental associations. Their testimonies tell a daily nightmare made of Unbearable odors, suspicious water and a quality of life zeroed. Citizens stopped trusting tap water and coexist with the constant fear of what they breathe and drink those who live there.
During the process, independent experts confirmed the seriousness of the situation: in the ground and in the water they were found Antibiotic resistant bacteriaone of the most urgent health threats of our time. Even more shocking the data on nitrates: the analyzes detected concentrations up to a thousand times higher than the limits considered safe.
THE nitratescompounds containing nitrogen and oxygen, are widely used in the farms for the conservation of the meat. But in high quantities, they can contaminate the groundwater and become a Risk factor for the development of tumors and chronic diseases.
Intensive farms: an unsustainable system for the environment, animals and humans
A Limia’s sentence is not only a victory for a local community, but it is also a global alarm bell. The Intensive farms I’m not simply a “animal welfare problem”: they are one of the main sources of water pollution, soil and airwith devastating impacts also on public health.
In Spain, which is the First manufacturer of pig meat in Europea third of these farms is concentrated in Galicia. But the same model is widespread throughout Europe, Italy included.
A precedent that can change the rules
The decision of the Galician court is the first in the world to formally recognize institutional responsibility for the impact of intensive farms on human rights. Could represent a previous epochalopening the way to new appeals also in other countries where communities live in contact with this type of industries.
The health of people, the water protection and the dignity of the environment can no longer be sacrificed in the name of profit. It is time to radically rethink the food system, starting from the reduction of the consumption of meat and the support to more sustainable agricultural models, ethical and close to the territory.
