In 1871, Colonel R. I. Dodge, when traveling along the Arkansas River, came upon a herd of bison that he measured to be 25 miles wide and 50 miles long. It has been estimated that 20 to 30 million bison once dominated the American landscape. Their numbers were so great that they essentially formed the ecosystem of the American prairie. They did this because of their grazing habits, tending to graze in patches, revisiting some areas and ignoring others, and by consuming only dominant grasses, leaving wild flowers and other species untouched. This method of feeding resulted in an increase of animal and plant diversity; for instance, prairie dogs flourished in land made bare by the bison, which in turn provided food for foxes, hawks and eagles. The bison also provided the land with nitrogen which was returned to the soil in the form of urine. Another of their habits was to roll repeatedly in exposed soil, which created wallows. In the spring, the wallows would fill with rainwater creating temporary pools which supported other wildlife. In short, bison created a complementary ecosystem beneficial to all. An understanding of how this system worked has led American cattle ranchers to utilize similar grazing practices to restore an ecosystem largely destroyed by modern industrial methods which involved the creation of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs).
Current reality provides incentives only for livestock weight gains which leads to management practices that maximize livestock production, leaving little room for independent ranchers to employ methods that would foster better engineering of rangeland vegetation by livestock. Instead, the meat processing industry is now largely controlled by multinational and economically powerful companies that make it difficult for alternative producers to slaughter their animals and get their products to market. CAFOs have replaced a system of food animal production which was integrated with crop production in ways that were beneficial to both farmers and society as a whole. As a means of obtaining fast profits, the beef industry confines large numbers of cattle in confined spaces, an unnatural and unhealthy condition that effectively concentrates too much manure in too small an area. Many of the problems associated with CAFOs are directly related to the storage and disposal of the manure. These operations however, did not evolve on their own, but are a direct product of public policy. By encouraging the growth of genetically modified corn, which has become so cheap that it is used almost exclusively by the industry as feed, CAFOs have been able to significantly reduce their costs. Alternative production methods by independent ranchers can deliver abundant animal products while avoiding problems caused by CAFOs, but ranchers are at a competitive disadvantage as CAFOs can reduce their costs through subsidies that are provided at our expense.
And we no longer can afford the external costs of this harmful system. CAFOs cause water and air pollution, which we pay for in the form of prevention and cleanup, they lower property values in rural communities because of environmental degradation, and we continue to see excessive antibiotic usage, making once easy to treat human diseases more costly to address. Transforming a system that is ecologically beneficial is possible, and many ranchers have been able to produce meat efficiently by working with nature, but the federal government also needs to stop fueling the needs of a few large corporations by changing a policy that benefits only them. Without government subsidies to factory farms, enabling them to purchase corn and soybeans below the cost of what it takes to grow the crops, it’s unlikely these factory farms could remain profitable.
Resisting the spread of GMOs does not only involve the understanding that they require excessive amounts of toxic chemicals or that the foods created could harm human health. They are becoming so incorporated into our food system that inhumane practices such as are involved with CAFOs are supported by the federal government. These practices are inefficient as well as being cruel. The massive global acreage of monocrops that produce corn, soybeans and hay to feed livestock in confinement could be better managed to create diversified farms and pasture operations.
Alas, it would seem any lessons learned in this country about the damage industrial meat operations cause are being ignored abroad. Although manure runoff is the “biggest source of water pollution in the country,” China is set to create the world’s largest CAFO with 100,000 cows. What we as individuals can do is refuse to consume industrially produced meat. One can become vegetarian or support local ranchers, your choice.
But did you know that kale can actually be bad for you?
Recipe of the Week
This recipe is simple and can be adjusted according to taste. You can add roasted peppers, raw onion, or whatever else you wish.
Mozzarella and Pesto Grilled Sandwiches
1 loaf batard (or any type of bread you choose)
1 cup pesto, either homemade or purchased
1 cup mixed, pitted olives, chopped
1/2 lb mozzerella, sliced
1 large tomato, sliced
Slice the bread lengthwise. Spread the pesto, then add all other ingredients. Heat a large cast iron frying pan to medium, place the loaf in the pan and weigh it down with a smaller cast iron pan. Turn once and adjust heat downward in order to melt the cheese.