5.7 meat production methods

cafo

concentrated animal feeding operation

densely crowded method where animals are fed grain(corn) to raise them to quickly as possible (no grass)

pos and neg of cafo

+ maximizes profit/land use (most meat per production unit of area)

• minimizes meat cost for consumers

- given antibiotics & growth hormones to prevent diseases out breaking & speed meat production. leads to antibiotic resistant bacteria

- animals produce a large amt of waste which contaminates nearby waters

- produces a lot of co2 and methane and n2o (ghg→CC)

manure lagoons and effects

large open storage pits for animal waste

waste contains ammonia (N), hormones from steroids - dumped out, antibiotics

e.coli →toxic to humans, ammonia (N) →eutrophication, antibiotics & growth hormones →alter endocrine (hormonal system) of humans

denitrification of ammonia in manure produces N2O (extremely powerful GHG)

can be emptied/buried in landfills, or turned into fertilizer pellets - takes time and money

what is the effect of heavy rain flooding of manure lagoons

contamination of nearby surface/groundwater w runoff

e.coli intoxication process

e.coli →intoxication for humans, ammonia (N) → eutrophication, antibiotics & growth hormones →alter endocrine (hormonal system) of humans

free range grazing

animals (mostly cows) graze on land & grow at a natural rate w/ out growth hormonesf

free range grazing pos and neg

+ no need for antibiotics w dispersed pop

+ doesn’t require production of corn feed

+ waste is dispersed throughout the land they’re wandering around, acts as fertilizer (instead of building up in lagoons)

+ animals can graze on areas that are too dry for crop growth

- requires a lot of land use/pound of meat produced

- more expensive to consumer

overgrazing

too many animals grazing in a particular area, removes all vegetation

effects of overgrazing

removes all vegetation, which leads to topsoil erosion, compacted soil →decreasing H2O holding capacity →more erosion

• desertification: all plants are killed by overgrazing and soil is so compacted that it can’t hold water anymore

solution to overgrazing

rotational grazing. it increases growth of grass by distributing manure & clipping grass back to size where growth is most rapid

inefficiency of meat

producing meat is inefficient, bc we use plants to feed meat that we eat (energy, land use, water use wise)

energy

all of the energy needed to plant, growth, harvest plants, to feed to animals (10% rule)

• energy needed to bring water to animals

• energy needed to house animals

• energy needed to slaughter and package animals

land

all energy needed to grow plants to feed animals plus the room animals take up

water

all water for crops animals eat plus water the animals drink