U.S. Lawmakers Mull over China’s Smithfield Foods Takeover

Jul 10, 2013

U.S. Lawmakers Mull over China’s Smithfield Foods Takeover

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

United States lawmakers have a scheduled hearing on Wednesday to discuss China’s pending takeover of Smithfield Foods.

Senate Agriculture Committee lawmakers will weigh in on the deal offered by China’s Shuanghui International to buy Smithfield. The deal was struck this spring and announced in May.

The committee said the hearing will scrutinize the pending acquisition of Smithfield, while examining the government review process for foreign takeovers. Consideration will also be made on topics such as American food safety and studying the effects of foreign ownership of the U.S. food supply.

If the deal goes through, it would be the largest takeover of a U.S. company by a Chinese business – valued at $7.1 billion. Larry Pope, Smithfield Foods’ CEO is expected to speak at the hearing.

Video: Sow Welfare and Group Housing Systems - Dr. Laya Alves

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Laya Alves from the University of São Paulo, in Brazil, discusses how animal welfare regulations are evolving globally and their impact on pig production systems. She explains challenges in group housing, pain management, and euthanasia decisions, while highlighting the role of training and management in improving outcomes and economic sustainability. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Translating welfare requirements into daily farm routines without compromising economic sustainability remains one of the biggest challenges faced by producers globally today."

Meet the guest: Dr. Laya Alves / laya-kannan is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, focusing on animal welfare in pig production, including pain management, euthanasia, and economic decision making. Her work integrates welfare science with practical farm management and sustainability. She collaborates globally to develop applied tools for producers.