The livestock industry has historically been the largest source of demand for corn, and has been continually trended upward as demand grows for meat products. 2006 marked the beginning of a drastic change in the economy of this sector. Feed costs more than doubled, and price variability increased sharply. The major driver of this change was the demand for corn used for ethanol production. The price of feed increased so rapidly that the prices of finished animals could not keep up, and cattle producers experienced record losses. Further exacerbating the issue, increased ethanol production has shifted cropland use away from other feed sources such as soybeans. Further, the Energy Independence and Security Act signed into law in December 2007 requires that motor fuel be blended with certain amounts of ethanol, and allows the ethanol industry to pay any price necessary to obtain enough corn to fill the mandate. As a result, not only did feed prices drastically increase, but also increased fuel prices. This impacts producers again, and also lowers the spending income of consumers, which has been shown to reduce consumer demand for beef. (Wisner, 2008)
The future use of technology in the feedlot industry is hard to predict. Some consumers want to see the use of technology decrease, particularly feed additives such as antibiotics and beta-agonists, and growth hormones even though these technologies yield some of the greatest returns on investment of any feedlot technology. However, the use of animal identification technology and product traceability is likely to continue increasing. Improvements in feed milling and delivery that reduce labor, and reduction of animal health issues are also likely to continue in use and improvement. (Galye...
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...ucers. Beef quality assurance (BQA) incorporates topics which are related to the quality and efficiency of beef production, which will increase profitability for producers through meat premiums. BQA provides guidelines for animal care, handling, proper storage and use of feeds, animal health products and their use, record keeping, carcass quality management, cattle marketing, biosecurity, and transportation. (Dale et al, 2009) Audits of the beef industry have demonstrated progress in improving the quality of beef products over the past 20 years, however there are always improvements still to be made. The 2005 National Beef Quality Audit indicated that a total $55.58 was lost in value per head due to undesirable quality grade, yield grade, carcass weight, hide, and offal. Much of this lost value could be recaptured if producers followed BQA guidelines. (Radunz, 2010)
“U.S. Meat Production,” PSR, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Washington, D.C. 2014. Print. Web 1 Apr. 2014.
Fast food consumption is taking America by a storm and it is for the sake of our lives. Fast food relies heavily on industrialized corn because of how cheap and easy to grow it is. With that being said, animals are being fed with corn rather than being fed with grass. In the Omnivore’s Dilemma, Rich Blair who runs a “cow-calf” operation s...
A viable alternative to corn subsidies would be a program that would replace the corn subsidies with a price floor. A price floor would c...
A growing issue in the world today is the use of antibiotics and growth hormones in animal production industry. However, for over sixty years Americans have been exposed to hormones on a regular basic when they consume beef. (Organic Consumer Association) On average eighty percent of all feedlot cattle are given hormones to help them grow at an increased rate. (Communication Foundation) “In 1988 the European Union banned the use of all hormone growth promoters.” (Organic Consumer Association)
...tical human assumptions about how beef is raised and whether or not it is healthy. Thanks to these people, the industry has become stronger and more united. There is currently, and forever will be, a major need for beef. The effect of this is that there will always be a need for beef producers, processers, and advocates. To keep cattle prices on the rise, and continue the economic growth we are currently seeing throughout the United States, we will have and need some very influential advocates to make sure the world knows the facts about the commercial cattle industry. This in-depth study revealed many of those facts including an industry overview, production and marketing phases, and products of beef. Thanks to the American farmer and rancher the commercial beef cattle industry has and will continue to be a dominant agricultural industry throughout the U.S.A.
Over the past few decades, small and medium sized farms have been taken over by large-scale factory farms. These farms house billions of animals used for consumption each year. The conditions on factory farms are filthy, overcrowded and disease ridden. Animals forced to live out their lives on these farms are subject to extremely harsh conditions, such as mutilation, confinement and living spaces piled high with feces. Not only do conditions on factory farms make life for livestock absolutely miserable, but factory farms are also negatively impacting human health and the environment. The production and sale of meat has become a billion-dollar industry based upon the bloodshed of other sentient beings. With this being the case, at the very least, factory farms need to be properly regulated and companies involved need to be held accountable for their abuse.
... 80%. This solution, however, is considered too expensive and impractical to the cattle industry, and as a result is going unrecognized (Pollan 82). The food system is more concerned with profit, production, and efficiency, and this is why very little has changed in the last few decades. Although profit is a validly arguable for many people, the means in which to gain a high profit has become extremely unethical and hazardous to the general populations health.
Currently, agribusinesses’ dominate the U.S food production, employing unethical practices in order to maximize profits at the expense of the environment, animal welfare, and even our health. Economically, other methods of harvest often “require higher capital and petroleum energy inputs” that lower “the return to the farmer/rancher” (L34) which results in farmers using other more convenient methods that higher their
The abuse of livestock is a widespread problem that affects everyone who buys and consumes meat products. Most people are not even aware of how slaughter-destined animals are treated while alive, what chemicals are forced into their bodies, what they are forced to eat, and how they are slaughtered. Fortunately, an increasing number of slaughter plants and small farms have been conforming to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA), after it was passed in 1958, and amended to be fully enforced in 2002, but there are still slaughter plants that abuse, neglect, and provide poor conditions for livestock (“Humane” Animal). When looking at the realities of mass producing meat and animal products, two serious problems arise: the quality of life for the animals, and the possible negative health effects for the people who consume these products.
Feed is a future world where technology is at it’s most advanced level. It is common for science fiction novels to portray a futuristic society riddled with cold predictions about the apocalypse. The destruction of the environment, rampant consumerism, and technological advancement shown in Feed are incredibly relevant to modern society, showing us what we have to change if humanity wishes to survive. The impact of new technology is apparent all around us, especially in the way we communicate, run business and understand the world. This has provided functionality to everyday tasks and as a result, has become a necessity. Over the course of history, we humans have been inventing new and better things to ease our troubles.The invention of the wheel aided us with fast and easy transportation of resources as well as commute, and the invention of the compass sparking the age of exploration and colonization. Just like the wheel and the compass, the internet was invented, giving users unlimited information with the click of a button.
Escalating prices for food are driving up the cost of groceries in the U.S., effecting consumers and companies. “Federal forecasters estimate retail food prices will rise as much as 3.5% this year, the biggest annual increase in three years, as drought in parts of the U.S. and other producing regions drives up prices for many agricultural goods” (Dreibus). For instance, “Drought in Brazil, the world's largest producer [in] coffee, sugar and oranges, has increased coffee prices, while dry weather in Southeast Asia has boosted prices for cooking oils such as palm oil” (Dreibus). Also, “In the U.S., much of the rise in the food cost comes from higher meat and dairy prices, due in part to tight cattle supplies after years of drought in states such as Texas and California and rising milk demand from fast-growing Asian countries” (Dreibus). Consumers and producers will take action to cope with these surging food prices under several economic principles.
With the fuel crisis that is happening in the world today it is now more important than ever to begin the look towards alternative fuel sources. One smart step for the US would be to wean the country slowly off of the gasoline fix and to look into alternative fuels to replace the “never coming back” fossil fuels. It turns out that Ethanol as a hybrid fuel proves to be a notable candidate for this gasoline intervention, per say. Now the United States is currently looking to subsidize fossil fuel alternatives. However, before considering ethanol production as a governmental subsidy, using large amounts of hard earned tax payer money, there has to be many alternative factors that come into play such as making sure the pros out weight the cons as far as environmental benefits and performance output and not to mention looking at the entire matter from an economic or investment perspective. First we need to consider what the ethanol we are talking about actually is and how can we obtain it.
An abundance of Americans have no idea that most of the food that they consume are either processed or altered in one way or another. “Almost all beef cattle entering feedlots in the United States are given hormone implants to promote faster growth. The first product used for this purpose is DES (diethylstilbestrol) it was approved for use in beef cattle in 1954. An estimated two-thirds of the nation's beef cattle were treated with DES in 1956. (Swan, Liu, Overstreet, Brazil, and Skakkebaek)” Many people enjoy the various meats that comes from a cow, but that would probably change if the consumers knew that cattle is one of the most processed meat source in the market today because of the synthetic hormones that the cows are given. “ The three synthetic hormones are the estrogen compound zeranol, the androgen trenbolone acetate, and progestin melengestrol acetate. (Swan, Liu, Overstreet, B...
Another factor contributing to the shrinking profit margins of beef producers was the overall consistency and quality of the meat. Products such as pork and chicken were beginning to be packaged by Tyson and Perdue as ready to eat meals (Mohr, 1999).
Animal agriculture is most directly influenced economically by industry. Decision Innovation Solutions, a research group with a background in agriculture, provides that “from 2004-2014, U.S. animal agriculture increased national gross product by $123 billion in economic output, boosted household earnings by over $21 billion and supported an additional 645,629 jobs.” The data, collected by Our Soy Checkoff, an organization for soybean farmers, shows how the growth of animal agriculture in the U.S. over a ten year course led to an increase in jobs and national wealth (“U.S. Economic Impact…”). The presented data demonstrates the improvement of the economy due to animal agriculture workers receiving more income, along with the increase in available jobs. iGrow, an extension of South Dakota State University with a focus on agriculture, says that in 2012 the U.S. animal agriculture was responsible for 1,851,000 jobs, a total economic output of $346 billion, $60 billion in household income, a paid income taxes of $15 billion, and paid property