Short answers, pulled from the story.
Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of pig husbandry in Mesopotamia dating back to 13,000 BC. This timeline places the domestication of pigs among the earliest known animal taming efforts by humans.
China consumed 54 million metric tons of pork in 2016 according to USDA data. This figure represents more than half of all global pork consumption during that year.
Jewish dietary laws prohibit pork based on Leviticus chapter 11 and Deuteronomy chapter 14. These texts state that animals must possess split hooves and bring up their cud to be considered kosher while pigs have split hooves but do not chew cud making them impure according to biblical law.
A U.S. National Pork Board campaign launched in 1987 positioned pork as the other white meat due to public perception of chicken and turkey being healthier. This slogan achieved 87% consumer recognition before being retired on the 4th of March 2011.
The European Union produced 24.15 million metric tons in 2020 while the United States contributed 12.84 million tons. Worldwide production reached nearly 109 million metric tons in 2015 with these three regions accounting for roughly 76% of world pork output.