Photojournalist Selene Magnolia Gatti has been documenting the effects on human health and wellbeing of living alongside intensive agriculture
Aerial view of a pig factory farm near a town and its kindergarten in Landunvez, France. Photograph: Selene Magnolia Gatti
The meat and dairy industry in Europe has undergone a transformation over the last two decades, shifting towards significantly larger and more specialised farms. The sight of long, sterile sheds placed in orderly rows, and accessorised with high silos and big noisy fans, dominates more and more of the landscape of the countryside across the continent.
PM 2.5 is listed as a group 1 carcinogenic substance that has been linked to an estimated 253,000 deaths a year in Europe. Exposure to PM 2.5 is linked to heart and lung conditions. Growing evidence has pointed to higher cancer rates in regions where there is a lot of intensive animal farming.Ans van Maris has developed asthma since the farms around her home have expanded in the last 15 years. When the air quality worsens, she has to increase her medication. April 2024, Brabant, Netherlands.
These farms have been linked to outbreaks of influenza strains such as H1N1 swine flu and H5N1 avian flu, and diseases such as African swine fever and Q fever, which can jump from animals to humans. Additionally, they contribute to the emergence of food-borne pathogens including salmonella and E coli, and the spread of livestock-associated antibiotic-resistant bacteria. More recently, research has linked these regions to a higher incidence and severity of Covid-19.
“Nitrate-contaminated wells are always in agricultural areas and the main source for this is fertilisers and manure,” says Dr Cristina Villanueva, an expert in water quality and health at the ISGlobal health institute in Spain. “Once a well is contaminated, it is very hard to clean it up.”A large pig farm in Tingerup, Denmark, February 2024. Residents have complained about bad smells, health impacts and biosecurity hazards.This woman lives close to an intensive pig farm in Tingerup, Denmark.
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