Tip of the Week

Meat Matters

Mary Max, wife of artist Peter Max, called the other day. She was very upset to learn of the gargantuan health and environmental problems caused by confined animal feedlot operations (CAFO), also known as intensive lifestock operations (ILO) or factory farms, and that no one seems to know about them. That may all change when the movie based on Fast Food Nation, the book by Eric Schlosser, comes out, but Mary's right, the stunning mess these giant operations are making, and the danger they pose - not just to neighboring communities but to all of us - may be well known to some Americans, but not to most. Few probably realize that an estimated 70% of all antibiotics in the U.S. are fed to pigs, poultry and cattle merely to promote growth and to compensate for the unsanitary and confined conditions on factory farms. One of the most dangerous practices of factory farming is the storage and "use" of liquefied animal waste: massive quantities of manure generated by CAFOs are stored in holes dug in the earth (referred to as "lagoons") and then spread onto cropland. These manure pits often leak or overflow, releasing toxic bacteria and excess nutrients into groundwater. Decomposing manure also emits hazardous gases into the air. Airborne factory farm emissions can be so noxious that exposure can lead to tension, depression, reduced vigor, fatigue, confusion, nausea, dizziness, weakness, fainting, headaches, plugged ears, runny nose, scratchy throat, and burning eyes.

The problems associated with factory farming are not all local of course. The overuse of antibiotics among livestock concerns us all as it fosters the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria to other animals and humans. Then there are the 5,000 deaths a year and 76 million cases of foodborne illness that occur annually, 70 percent of which USDA believes is traceable to contaminated meat. How many of these instances are linked to unsanitary conditions at factory farms? And while Al Gore didn't spend much time on it, he did note that manure at cattle feedlots can produce substantial amounts of methane and nitrous oxide, both potent greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

These are steep prices for a burger, don't you agree? So what's a concerned consumer like Mary to do?

Eating fewer animal products and lower on the food chain are steps number one and two, both being better for you and the planet. But when meat, poultry or eggs is on your menu, the key is to know where it's from and how it was produced. Always look at the label to see what you are getting. The Green Guide offers excellent and simple safe meat and poultry shopping cards that will take the guess work out of your next trip to the store.

Also check out the Eat Well Guide to find sources - farms, stores, restaurants - near you of sustainably harvested meat, poultry, dairy and eggs.

And if yours is a neighborhood downstream of a noxious factory farm, click here for a guide to confronting a CAFO.

Finally, if you are in the market for a good new book on the subject of what we eat, consider The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. Check back here in a couple weeks for a review by The Green Guide's editor, Mindy Pennybacker.

© The Green Guide, 2008

| Email this post

Discuss this blog

Green Gab is for registered users only. If you are not a registered user and would like to join the discussion, register today. Already registered? Log in here:
Username:		Password:
If you have forgotten your password, click here.