Spain's ambition to become one of the world's largest pork producers has led to the depopulation of the village of Balsa de Ves, located about 100 km from Valencia, due to an influx of pigs and an overpowering smell from a large pig farm. The village has seen a 40% population decline since the arrival of the pig producers in 2006, and the situation has worsened, with nitrate levels in one of the village's water sources exceeding the EU directive limit. The village has also struggled with the noise and traffic from the heavy truck traffic associated with the farm. This issue is part of a larger trend in Spain, with a 2021 study finding that 74% of villages where pigs outnumber residents have shrunk over the past two decades.