India emerges as second largest beef exporter in the world
New Delhi: An investigation conducted by the environmental and human rights group Global Witness, and first reported by the BBC, has implicated three of the world's leading meat producers—JBS, Minerva, and Marfrig—in illegal deforestation in Brazil's Cerrado plains. The companies, however, deny any wrongdoing. The inquiry, which focused on the state of Mato Grosso within the expansive Cerrado region, revealed that much of the deforested land for ranching owned by the three entities lacked the necessary permits, suggesting illegal activities.
This revelation comes amid the approaching deadline for companies to comply with the European Union's (EU) new regulation, the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The law, effective December 30, 2024 (June 30, 2025, for micro or small businesses), requires companies selling goods to the EU to prove that their produce was not grown on land deforested after 2020, under the threat of substantial fines. Critics argue that this legislation may disproportionately impact smallholder farmers who lack the resources to provide the required data, potentially disrupting crucial revenue streams.
Products such as beef, coffee, palm oil, and soy will be among those affected by the EUDR. However, campaigners from Global Witness contend that the law falls short as it does not fully encompass the Cerrado plains, unlike the Amazon.
As of 2023, Brazil holds the position of the largest beef exporter globally, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture. Predictions from April 2023 anticipated Brazil's beef exports to surpass 3 million tons that year. Other significant players in beef exports in 2023 included India (water buffalo meat), the United States, and Australia. However, when considering countries with the highest beef production, the order differs, with the US leading due to a substantial portion of its beef being consumed domestically.
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Old video falsely shared as 'situation in China' amid recent HMPV outbreak
The Verdict (Misleading)
The video, online since at least 2022, predates the recent rise in HMPV cases in China and is unrelated to the current outbreak.
What is the claim?
A video showing individuals in white personal protective equipment (PPE) dragging people has been shared online, claiming to show the situation in China amid an outbreak of respiratory disease caused by human metapneumovirus (HMPV). The claim has circulated alongside reports of rising HMPV cases in China.
An X user shared the video, writing, “Pandemic 2.0 is coming Curiously, just with Trump's presidency, China has just declared a state of health emergency. The authorities are not giving information about the virus or variants (translated from Spanish)." Archived links to similar posts can be found here and here.
HMPV is a virus from the Pneumoviridae family that affects the lungs and causes respiratory illness similar to the common cold. First identified in the Netherlands in 2001, the virus can cause symptoms such as coughing, fever, nasal congestion, and wheezing. [Learn more about the virus and the outbreak in China here.]
Screenshot of the viral video shared online. (Source: X/Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)
However, we found that the video currently circulating is at least two years old and predates the HMPV outbreak.
Here are the facts
A reverse image search revealed the same video was posted by X user @fangshimin on October 29, 2022 (archived here). The caption stated, “China's 'Crystal Night': large numbers of White Guards went out in the middle of the night and dragged people to concentration camps (translated from Chinese)."
The video was also uploaded to a YouTube channel called ‘China in Real Life’ on May 22, 2022 (archived here). It was captioned, “China Guangdong Medical Staff Drag Citizens to Quarantine Camp at Midnight.” This indicates the video has been online since at least 2022 and cannot depict a recent HMPV outbreak in China.
A November 2022 Yahoo News report referenced the video, noting that X user Songpinganq shared it on October 22, 2022. The report did not confirm the exact location or date of the footage.
Comparison of the viral video and the visuals published by Yahoo News in 2022. (Source: X/Yahoo News)
While Logically Facts could not independently verify the precise date and location of the video, available evidence shows it is not recent.
The verdict
A video that has been online since at least 2022 has been misattributed to the current HMPV outbreak in China.
