Public Health Message: World Bank’s Factory Farm Funding Increases Global Pandemic Risk
Stop Financing Factory Farming
25th February '25
A recent Devex article highlights concerns from advocacy groups over the World Bank’s continued financing of industrial livestock farms. In a letter to World Bank President Ajay Banga, organizations including Friends of the Earth U.S. and Compassion in World Farming warned that factory farms fuel bird flu outbreaks and increase the risk of another pandemic. They urged the bank to halt funding, conduct an independent review, and invest in sustainable alternatives. The World Bank denies supporting factory farming, citing guidelines to mitigate zoonotic disease risks. However, advocates argue that intensive animal agriculture accelerates viral evolution, with outbreaks in 2024 underscoring the threat to global health security.
