The United States Meat Industry

The United States meat industry has drastically changed over the years. The former small food retailers, meat processors, and farms have banded together into fewer and larger businesses. These large businesses gradually began abuse the increasing control and power in politics they wielded. From the unsanitary meat produced to the extensive environmental abuse, these businesses are ultimately devastating the American people and the Earth. The consumers in the United States should be made aware of the negative health, environmental, and animal welfare impacts associated with meat production.  The meat industry targets a small number of key lawmakers and regulators that have a direct impact on their business interests. Yet despite the relatively low level of financial contributions, the industry has succeeded in weakening or preventing many new meat-safety initiatives in recent years.

            The United States is faced with many diet related disease such as obesity, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. These diseases can be derived from several different factors, but consumption of the meat produced in “unsustainable manners” is certainly one of them. The Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) reports “Diets high in red and processed meats have been found to be associated with greater mortality from cardiovascular disease and cancer, and higher rates of Type 2 Diabetes” (PSR, 2009). Red meat consumed by American is often high in saturated fats, and can lead to a greater risk in heart disease and stroke. The high saturated fats in these animals can be attributed to the grains they are fed (corn, soy, etc.) Large corporations looking to make money quickly have decided it was easier, faster, and more cost-effective to feed their livestock grain as opposed to a more sustainable grass fed diet (PSR, 2009). The grain diet has caused animals to have less Vitamin E and C, beta-carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids compared to their grass fed counterparts (PSR, 2009).

In addition to an unhealthy diet for the livestock, the meat industry has gone so far as to use antibiotic treatments in their livestock. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sixty thousand Americans die each year from antibiotic resistant disease (PSR, 2009). Antibiotic resistance is the ability of a microorganism to withstand the effects of an antibiotic (Science Daily, 2012). While this may be partially due to inappropriate use or over use of antibiotics in medicine by humans, it is mostly due to inappropriate use in agriculture. Eighty Percent of all antibiotics used in the United States are used in the non-therapeutic treatment on livestock (PSR, 2009).  Since the discovery of how daily doses of antibiotics would make animals gain three percent more weight than they otherwise would, farmers have increased their doses (PBS, 2012). They may add antibiotics through feed and water to prevent disease and promote growth (PSR, 2009). It is difficult to obtain accurate information on the amount of antibiotics given to food animals because the meat industry does not publicize its use of antibiotics. However, according to PBS, “Stuart B. Levy, M.D., who has studied the subject for years, estimates that there are 15-17 million pounds of antibiotics used sub-therapeutically in the United States each year” (PBS, 2012). The disease may originate from the overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions of the livestock (PSR, 2009). Concentrated Animal Feed Operations (CAFOs) are agricultural operations where animals are kept and raised in confined situations. CAFOs cluster animals, feed, manure and urine, dead animals, and production operations on a small land area, not allowing animals to graze freely in open pastures (EPA, 2012). The habitual feeding of antibiotics to promote growth and prevent disease contributes to the presence of resistant bacteria (PSR, 2009). The increasing concern about the growing level of drug-resistant bacteria has prompted the European Union and Canada to ban sub-therapeutic use of antibiotics in meat animals. In the United States however, such use is still legal. The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests significantly curbing the use of antibiotics in the animals we eat to “reduce the overuse and misuse of antimicrobials in food animals for the protection of human health“(PBS, 2012).

There is also a large concern for the use of cloned and genetically engineered animals. In 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the commercial sale of meat and milk from cloned animals.  Because of the increased medical problems associated with experiments of cloning, large amounts of hormones and antibiotics are administered to both the mothers and the clones (PSR, 2009). There have been few studies made to determine the health risks of consuming products from clones and their offspring. The genetically engineered animals have potential food safety risks including the introduction of new allergens into the food system, the continuation of bioactive proteins after digestion, and the creation of potentially toxic effects from novel protein expression (PSR, 2009). Consumption of products from clones and their offspring along with genetically engineered animals has not been thoroughly investigated, and may therefore pose a potential danger (PSR, 2009).

In addition to the health concerns to humans, the meat industry also poses a threat to the environment. According to a 2006 report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the meat in our diets has released more greenhouse gases carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere than either transportation or industry. The FAO found that the current production levels of meat contribute between fourteen and twenty two percent of the thirty six billion tons of "CO2-equivalent" greenhouse gases the world produces every year (Scientific American, 2009). The two main issued of livestock impact in water would be contamination and overuse. Leaking manure lagoons or runoff from manure fertilized fields enter streams, rivers, lakes, oceans, contaminating drinking water. Contaminated water can lead to diseases or death to those who drink it. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), warned that “E. Coli, salmonella, and Giardia found in dairy cattle waste can contaminate drinking water and cause acute gastroenteritis, fever, kidney failure, and even death.” Overuse of water in livestock production has also created a large problem. Taking 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat, we are seriously abusing our resources. In addition, feeding the livestock grain products also contributes to overuse of water, the livestock feed of   soy and corn require heavy irrigation (PSR, 2009). Water is not the only resource we are taking advantage of, meat and land in general is being over used, and this ultimately is harming the environment. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), reports “A recent United Nations report concluded that a global shift toward a vegan diet is necessary to combat the worst effects of climate change” (PETA, 2012).

In addition to the meat industry’s negative effect on human health and our environment, their disregard for animal welfare is appalling. Most of our meat comes from CAFOs which make up only five percent of livestock operation but yet produce fifty percent of our food animals. They are designed to produce as much product possible for the lowest cost possible. To do this, they put animals in confined areas where they are often unable to act out innate behaviors, mate naturally, and because of stress and overcrowding, engage in aggressive behaviors that result in extreme action by farm operators. Their tight living conditions can lead to an increased risk of disease that can spread rapidly through their herd or flock (PSR, 2009).  In addition to confinement and concentration of animals, the cloning and genetic engineering is problematic. Cloned and genetically engineered animals often have health issues, with prenatal deaths as high as ninety percent (PSR, 2009).

Most of the companies involved in the meat business, including the big meatpackers, are represented by one or more of the powerful meat trade and lobbying organizations: the American Meat Institute, the National Meat Association, and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. They are a powerful group and they know they have a strong voice in decision-making in Washington. The health, environmental, and animal welfare problems associated with the meat industry have had an enormous impact on our world. From human diseases to the degrading environment to the unfair treatment of animals, we have dug a hole that will be difficult to get out of. The expanding meat industry in the United States seems to be harming more than improving the world. The enormous power they wield in the government makes it difficult for the people to try to make a change.