meat production apes

CAFOs/feedlots

densely crowded method where animals are fed grain to raise them ASAP

CAFO/feedlot benefits

maximizes land use and profit, minimizes cost of meat for consumers

CAFO/feedlot negatives

given antibiotics and growth hormones (→antibiotic resistance), large volume of waste →contaminated water, produce lots of CO2, CH4 (methane), and N2O (all GHG)

pharmaceuticals

hormones to beef up livestock and increase milk supply for cow

pharmaceutical benefit

fewer livestock requires to produce milk/meat

pharmaceutical drawback

contribute to an increase in antibiotic resistant strains of microorganisms that affect humans, possible interference with natural hormone function in humans

manure lagoons

large, open storage pits for animal waste (manure)

manure lagoons waste contain

ammonia (N →eutrophication), hormones + antibiotics (→alter endocrine of humans), e. coli/fecal coliform bacteria (→toxic to humans)

manure Lagoons effects

heavy rain can flood lagoons and contaminate nearby water with runoff, denitrification of ammonia in manure produce n2o (powerful ghg), can be emptied and buried in landfills or turned into fertilizer pellets

free range grazing

animals graze on grass and grow at natural rate w/o growth hormones

free range grazing benefits

little need for antibiotics w/ dispersed pop, doesn’t need production of corn to feed, waste dispersed naturally (fertilizer rather than build lagoon), animals can graze on land too dry for most crop growth

free range grazing cons

requires more total land use, more expensive to consumer

overgrazing

remove vegetation →topsoil erosion, animals compact soil →decrease water holding capacity →erosion, desertification can occur

rotational grazing (good)

move animals periodically, prevent overgrazing, increase grass growth by distributing manure (natural fertilizer) and clipping grass back to size where growth is most rapid

consequences of over consuming meat

mostly developed countries, consumer more meat than they need to

commons exploited due to meat overconsumption

land use, water supply/quality, pharmaceutical use (antibiotics/hormones), atmosphere (GHG), soil quality

delaney clause

ban cancer causing additives in food (food dye, flavor, preservatives)

why reduce meat consumption

reduce land use, conserve water supply/quality, reduce antibiotic use/growth hormones, reduce CO2 methane + n20, improve soil quality, ethical concerns about animal treatment

producing meat for humans to eat is far less efficient than..

producing plants (in terms of energy, land, water use) bc for meat you have to produce for plants to feed animals + energy for animals