Los efectos de la industria cárnica en Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas.

Abstract

Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas is an Ecuadorian province that connects the Andes Region with the Coast, which makes it a privileged area for trading. In its territory we can find a lot of natural resources because of its optimal climate that helps as well with the development of livestock and agriculture. Agropesa and Pronaca are the main food distribution companies in Ecuador, and both have set up intensive animal husbandry farms around it since the 80s. The rapid growth of the meat industry has caused serious problems in the province. The lack of regulatory laws in Ecuador has allowed these companies to install huge farms of intensive animal breeding, right next to the Tsáchilas communes, and under conditions that are not optimal for its operation. At the beginning Pronaca discarded all the waste directly to the rivers, which are located next to their farms, causing multiple diseases and problems to the natives, who use the water of these rivers and feed with its fish. The meat industry is located close to low-income communities from which they obtain cheap workforce and along with that avoid major legal problems.. Inside the farms there has been evidence of pigs with tumors and according to the workers this meat will be mixed with the other ones and sold as equal. The companies have divided this Tsáchila communities in two groups, one of them fights for the water, the air pollution and their land in general while the other one works for the company and benefits from the damage that Pronaca is causing to the environment. Tourism has disappeared from the province due to the odors coming from the farms and the pollution of the main rivers, causing a significant decline in the economy and the closure of a large number of holiday resorts.