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 The nation has deferred entering into a memorandum of understanding with China until the end of the year. The announcement of the national initiative to make use of land, water, labor and resources to raise hogs for China elicited considerable opposition. Environmentalists and academics in addition to citizens expressed concern over pollution resulting in a social media campaign and open protests in the streets of Buenos Aires. According to Reuters the Government of Argentina has decided to amend the memorandum of understanding to include stricter environmental conditions including compliance with all relevant laws.
Reference is made to the problems in North Carolina where large hog grow-out units use lagoons to hold waste that is then sprayed on fields creating an environmental nuisance. The major producer in Eastern North Carolina is Smithfield Foods a subsidiary of WH Group of China. Following adverse judgments against Smithfield Foods claiming loss of value of property and nuisance, Smithfield Foods threatened to withdraw from North Carolina. Cases are currently on appeal but it is clear that hog farms are unwelcome based on current methods of waste disposal. It is possible to install bioreactors capable of turning waste in to energy but this requires capital investment and advanced technology. It China were to apply technology available in that nation to proposed projects in Argentina, they would be in a more favorable position to work with their supplier.
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