An Analysis of Occupational Health in Pork Production

Data on attendees at the World Pork Expo from 1991–95 are used to evaluate the impact of farming generally, and hog farming and confinement operations more specifically, on the measured health outcomes of participants. Hog farming is found to increase risk of reduced hand strength and respiratory symptoms. To the extent these health risks are known, hog farmers will require a compensating differential to reward them for accepting a greater risk, an outcome consistent with higher long-term returns for hog production relative to cash-grain production.