Search Results (9)

This study analyzes the relational architecture of Brazilian traceable beef exports using a tripartite network model that connects certified meatpacking plants, AgriTrace sustainability protocols, and importing countries. By leveraging export authorization data from the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, it is shown that certification protocols function not merely as compliance tools but as relational governance infrastructures, mediating legitimacy, market access, and coordination within global value chains. Bipartite projections allowed the deriving and analyzing of two secondary networks: one mapping connections between meatpacking plants that share certifications, and the other linking consumer nations through common supply channels. The meatpacking plant network displays high modularity, featuring two dominant clusters alongside several smaller, regionally coherent clusters. This structure reflects diverse governance capabilities and strategic certification adoptions. Conversely, the consumer nation network shows lower modularity but identifies central hubs that organize international demand and signal regulatory alignment. These patterns reveal underlying dynamics of coopetition, where actors collaborate through shared standards yet compete through innovation. By integrating the Inner Development Goals (IDG) framework, it is revealed internal capacities, such as trust, complexity awareness, and shared purpose, underpinning the efficacy of traceability systems as ethical and adaptive infrastructures. This values-based lens provides a novel perspective on how technical systems can foster resilient, inclusive, and sustainable trade, thereby contributing to planetary health and human-centered development in global livestock governance. Full article

Salmonella spp. is a pathogen detected in fish, although it is not part of its microbiota; the production and processing environment is the main source of contamination. Brazilian legislation recommends 5 ppm of free residual chlorine for fish washing, but Salmonella can still be present. The objective of this study was to evaluate flaws in the processing flowchart and propose adjustments to reduce Salmonella spp. on the fish surface. Ninety samples were analyzed in a fish processing plant in Mato Grosso, divided into three treatments: (1) conventional processing, (2) modified flowchart, and (3) modified flowchart adapted to the specific plant conditions. Treatment 2 completely eliminated Salmonella spp., while treatment 3 reduced contamination to 3.3%, compared to 56.7% in conventional processing. The success of the modified treatment was only possible due to the main changes implemented in the process, which included the separation of dirty areas (responsible for gill and scale removal) and clean areas (designated for the careful removal of viscera without rupture and for filleting). No statistical difference was found between treatments 2 and 3 (p = 1, CI 0.00000–39.00055), suggesting that the adjusted flowchart can be implemented on a large scale to ensure food safety (OR = ∞, CI = [7.655, ∞], p < 0.001). This study highlights the effectiveness of the adjusted flowchart in reducing Salmonella spp. contamination in fish, with treatment 2 resulting in a complete absence of contamination. Treatment 3 maintained low contamination levels, demonstrating practical applicability in meatpacking plants. Full article

(1) Background: The meatpacking industry in Brazil is vital for economic growth. It poses significant occupational health risks, particularly Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs). The present study analyzes the profile of slaughterhouse workers based on the governmental notification database. (2) Methods: The socio-demographic dataset (n = 820) was filled with worker data, and health profiles reported Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) and WMSDs from 2007 to 2019, available online by the Brazilian Health Service. The dataset was analyzed to identify patterns of injuries and contributing factors. Descriptive statistics outlined worker characteristics, while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) explored associations between variables. (3) Results: The results revealed that 51.34% of workers were male, with most aged 30–45. Repetitive movements were reported by 89.63% of respondents, while 78.90% worked shifts exceeding six hours. Soft tissue disorders were the most prevalent diagnosis (40.97%). The majority (53.17%) experienced temporary disabilities, and 5.73% had permanent impairments. Key risk factors included inadequate breaks, stressful environments, and limited ergonomic adaptations. This study highlights the critical need for preventative measures, such as ergonomic interventions, adequate rest breaks, and employee education, to mitigate WMSDs. Future research should include ergonomic evaluations and consider broader organizational variables to enhance slaughterhouse occupational health and safety. Addressing these challenges is essential for improving worker welfare and maintaining industry productivity. Full article

Maryland’s growing chicken industry, including concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and meat processing plants, raises a number of concerns regarding public health and environmental justice. Using hot spot analysis, we analyzed the totality of Maryland’s CAFOs and meat processing plants and those restricted to the Eastern Shore to assess whether communities of color and/or low socioeconomic status communities disproportionately hosted these types of facilities at the census tract level. We used zero-inflated regression modeling to determine the strength of the associations between environmental justice variables and the location of CAFOs and meatpacking facilities at the State level and on the Eastern Shore. Hot spot analyses demonstrated that CAFO hot spots on the Eastern Shore were located in counties with some of the lowest wealth in the State, including the lowest ranking county—Somerset. Zero-inflated regression models demonstrated that increases in median household income across the state were associated with a 0.04-unit reduction in CAFOs. For every unit increase in the percentage of people of color (POC), there was a 0.02-unit increase in meat processing facilities across the state. The distribution of CAFOs and meat processing plants across Maryland may contribute to poor health outcomes in areas affected by such production, and contribute to health disparities and health inequity. Full article

Workplaces can be high-risk environments for SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks and subsequent community transmission. Identifying, understanding, and implementing effective workplace SARS-CoV-2 infection prevention and control (IPC) measures is critical to protect workers, their families, and communities. A rapid review and meta-analysis were conducted to synthesize evidence assessing the effectiveness of COVID-19 IPC measures implemented in global workplace settings through April 2021. Medline, Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library were searched for studies that quantitatively assessed the effectiveness of workplace COVID-19 IPC measures. The included studies comprised varying empirical designs and occupational settings. Measures of interest included surveillance measures, outbreak investigations, environmental adjustments, personal protective equipment (PPE), changes in work arrangements, and worker education. Sixty-one studies from healthcare, nursing home, meatpacking, manufacturing, and office settings were included, accounting for ~280,000 employees based in Europe, Asia, and North America. Meta-analyses showed that combined IPC measures resulted in lower employee COVID-19 positivity rates (0.2% positivity; 95% CI 0–0.4%) than single measures such as asymptomatic PCR testing (1.7%; 95% CI 0.9–2.9%) and universal masking (24%; 95% CI 3.4–55.5%). Modelling studies showed that combinations of (i) timely and widespread contact tracing and case isolation, (ii) facilitating smaller worker cohorts, and (iii) effective use of PPE can reduce workplace transmission. Comprehensive COVID-19 IPC measures incorporating swift contact tracing and case isolation, PPE, and facility zoning can effectively prevent workplace outbreaks. Masking alone should not be considered sufficient protection from SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in the workplace. Full article

The bioeconomy transition is a double-edged sword that may either address fossil fuel dependence sustainably or aggravate human pressures on the environment, depending on how it is pursued. Using the emblematic case of Brazil, this article analyzes how corporate agribusiness dominance limits the bioeconomy agenda, shapes innovation pathways, and ultimately threatens the sustainability of this transition. Drawing from scholarship on power in agri-food governance and sustainability transitions, an analytical framework is then applied to the Brazilian case. The analysis of current policies, recent institutional changes and the case-specific literature reveals that, despite a strategic framing of the bioeconomy transition as a panacea for job creation, biodiversity conservation and local development (particularly for the Amazon region), in practice major soy, sugarcane and meatpacking conglomerates dominate Brazil’s bioeconomy agenda. In what can be described as conservative ecological modernization, there is some reflexivity regarding environmental issues but also an effort to maintain (unequal) social and political structures. Significant agribusiness dominance does not bode well for smallholder farmers, food diversity or natural ecosystems, as major drivers of deforestation and land-use change (e.g., soy plantations, cattle ranching) gain renewed economic and political stimulus as well as greater societal legitimacy under the bioeconomy umbrella. Full article

In Colorado, meat processing and packing industries profit from the low-wage labor of foreign born workers and refugees in particular. Scholars and journalists have examined the hazardous and environmentally unjust workplace conditions in meatpacking, and detailed refugee struggles in North American resettlement geographies. Our research builds from this work to examine how multi-scalar geopolitical processes shape processes of refugee resettlement and refugee labor in Colorado’s meatpacking industries. Methods for this work include analysis of secondary data and twenty-two semi-structured interviews with various actors knowledgeable about refugee resettlement and/or agricultural production in Colorado. We argue various intersecting geopolitical processes—from immigration raids of meatpacking plants to presidential-level xenophobic discourses and ensuing immigration policies—interact to impact refugee resettlement and participation in the meat production sector. Moreover, while the U.S.’s neoliberal model of outsourcing resettlement to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) has been widely critiqued, we argue NGO employees, many of whom identify as foreign-born and/or refugees, work to build connection and belonging among refugees in challenging resettlement environments. We suggest a feminist geopolitics approach, which examines how the “global” and the “intimate” are deeply intertwined, is a useful perspective for understanding complicated racialized spaces in the rural United States, including efforts to build connections and empower refugee identities. Full article

Brazil is the leader in poultry meat exports, in which most products are in the form of cuts. This study analyzed the exertion perception of poultry slaughterhouses workers when performing cutting tasks, as well as the influence of knife sharpness on the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders by Occupational Repetitive Action (OCRA) method. Participants (n = 101) from three slaughterhouses were asked to rate their perceived exertion on the Borg scale during the cutting task when the knife was well and poorly sharpened. The OCRA results showed that the score for cutting with a dull knife was greater (43.57 ± 13.51) than with a sharp knife (23.79 ± 3.10) (p < 0.001). Consequently, there was a significant increase in the risk level of acquiring upper-limb work-related musculoskeletal disorders (UL-WMSD) by using a “poorly sharpened” knife (29%; p < 0.001; Borg scale 2–8). Thus, maintaining well-sharpened knives for optimal performance of the cutting task (fewer technical actions) is suggested, as well as including knife sharpening in the standard operating procedure to reduce musculoskeletal disorders. Full article

This study analyzed the finger temperatures of poultry slaughterhouse workers and its association with personal and organizational variables, bodily discomfort perception, and cold thermal sensation. The study included 143 poultry slaughterhouse workers. A thermograph was used to measure finger temperature and an interview to collect worker data. There were two groups: workers who used a tool and those without. The binary logistic regression, Friedman and Wilcoxon tests were used (p ≤ 0.05). Most workers presented at least one finger with an average temperature ≤15 °C (66.4%) and ≤24 °C (99.3%), perceived their cold hands, and wore three overlapping gloves (57.3%). There were no associations between finger temperatures (≤15 °C) and the analyzed variables. The chance of feeling cold for a worker who used a tool was greater than for a worker who did not (OR = 3.19, 95% CI 1.46; 6.94). There was a difference between the finger temperatures of each hand on both surfaces and the analyzed groups (p < 0.01). The temperature of each finger with its respective contralateral was different in the little fingers (no tool), index, middle, ring, and little fingers (using a tool) (p < 0.05). The use of several overlapping gloves was not sufficient to promote thermal insulation of the hands. Full article