2022-07-14

ARAGÓN / HEREFORDSHIRE / LOWER SAXONY — These regions have become areas with a very high density of intensive farms. An international investigation reveals the dynamics behind the expansion and the pollution of rivers, aquifers and even tap water that it brought along. 

Pork production for export has been one Spain and Germany’s big economic successes in this first quarter of the century. Chicken is a keystone seller for Tesco, the British supermarket giant. Cheap meat allows for large profits, but its low-cost production model, based on reducing costs specially on transport, has implied unprecedented farm concentration. The areas where these farms have been established are no longer able to cope with the water damage caused by animal excrements. An international investigation led by DATADISTA and The Guardian, disseminated in collaboration with elDiario.es and counting on the financing by Journalismfund.eu, locates areas with very high concentration of intensive livestock farming, digs into how these territories were grabbed by the meat business, big supermarkets, and world's pork megaproducers and unveils the degree to which water resources have been already damaged.

AWARDS & NOMINATIONS

  • Premio Gabo 2023: Ana Tudela and Antonio Delgado were nominated for in the category "Coverage", for showing how the areas of extremely high concentration of intensive macro-farms in Europe have polluted rivers, aquifers and even drinking water. 
  • This investigation won the 2023 Climate Journalism Award in the Data Category. 
  • Special Mention in the III Vicente Verdú Awards for Journalism and Innovation.
  • API (Asociación de Periodistas de Investigación) Award 2023 for Best Journalism Investigative Work in Spain in the Data category.

Here Ana Tudela is talking about this project in one of Journalismfund's webinars:

 

Team members

Antonio Delgado

Antonio Delgado is data journalist and co-founder of DATADISTA (Spain).

Antonio Delgado

Ana Tudela

Ana Tudela is investigative economic journalist and co-founder of DATADISTA (Spain).

Ana Tudela

Tom Levitt

Tom Levitt is a journalist and editor at the Guardian and former deputy editor at the Ecologist magazine.

Tom Levitt

Nicola Cutcher

Nicola Cutcher is an investigative journalist and filmmaker based in the UK.

Nicola Cutcher

Robin Eveleigh

Robin Eveleigh is a freelance journalist based in Hay on Wye.

Robin Eveleigh

Holly Young

Holly Young is a Scottish investigative journalist focusing on the environment, human rights and migration.

Holly Young
Media

Datadista

Datadista is a Spanish digital media oulet specialised in investigative journalism, (info)graphics and statistics.

datadista
Supported
€16,800 allocated on 23/02/2022
ID
ENV1/2022/036

ONLINE

COUNTRIES

  • Germany
  • Spain
  • The UK

need resources for your own investigative story?

Journalismfund Europe's flexible grants programmes enable journalists to produce relevant public interest stories with a European mind-set from international, national, and regional perspectives.

Apply

support independent cross-border investigative journalism

We rely on your support to continue the work that we do. Make a gift of any amount today.

Donate