Moving Forward
On "Cheap Food"
The Post-World War II goal of providing cheap food has driven not only the price of animal products, but also the quality of the practices used in the industry, down low. While accessible food is a shared common goal, this does not necessarily have to take the form of the cheapest prices possible. As Raj Patel eloquently stated, “it’s a story about cheap food; it should be about increasing wages”. It is important to remember that cheap prices often do not reflect the externalities of the practices which brought the price down. Meat and dairy products are clear examples of this; by concentrating animals in feedlots where they have no room to move, evading environmental and safety regulations, and receiving tax breaks and subsidies (indirectly from taxpayers), the animal agriculture industry has successfully achieved a seemingly low price in the grocery store. However, taking into account all of the externalities, including the greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, antibiotic resistance (from the large amounts of antibiotics required to keep animals in such small spaces), and water use, meat and dairy actually come at quite a cost to the planet. Following what Raj Patel asserted, increasing wages has the potential to increase food security in a healthier and longer-lasting manner than driving food costs down. Increasing wages so that citizens can afford the real cost of their food allows the system to be held accountable for its practices. The cost-cutting practices that lower prices, at the expense of the environment and human health, become unnecessary when people are financially stable. Food security through living wages allows citizens the purchasing power to demand better conditions and a better agricultural system. |
On Subsidies
Currently, meat and dairy are treated preferentially within our subsidy and tax system, and this is culturally accepted because our meat consumption as a country is high. “But when cultural practices are harmful, they should not be allowed to go unchallenged,” argues Peter Singer, animal rights advocate. Meeting our common goals of making food accessible without harming people or the planet is possible, especially when we closely examine and challenge the current food system. Today, in a lot of places in the U.S., a salad costs more than a hamburger. This is because our subsidies favor meat and dairy, but they don't have to. We need more land for "specialty crops" like fruits and vegetables, in order to ensure that people of all socioeconomic classes have access to the nutrients we all need. The last thing we need is more land or more money devoted to livestock production, including feed crops. We recommend a subsidy shift to a food system that favors fruit and vegetable production, locally where possible, and creates a disincentive for the highly water and energy intensive processes of livestock production. Though it would be a large shift, it makes sense. Not only does raising animals for meat use a huge amount of water and energy, both scarce resources, it is also driving climate change, and for this reason alone, we should significantly decrease the practice. Perhaps it is not politically feasible to completely phase out livestock operations, but we think that would be a wise choice for our planet and its inhabitants. If we cannot phase out raising livestock at this time, switching a lot of subsidies and land to fruit and vegetable growth will help us move toward sustainability. |
Conclusions
A final piece to remember when analyzing the food system is that it can change. There are alternatives to raising animals for meat and dairy, and there are alternatives for eating meat. Those of us who are concerned about justice and sustainability have likely already recognized the harmful effects of the industry. Our perceived dependence on the meat and dairy industry are not inevitable facts. There is much room for reform within the animal agriculture industry as well as reduced consumption of these products. In sum, this area is a worthwhile subject of discussion and critical analysis when working on creating a more sustainable and equitable food system.
References
Bernfeld, Jeremy, and Harvest Public Media. “Feedlots Grapple with Never-Ending Waste.” N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
EPA Office of Research and Development. Draft Plan to Study the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources. United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2011. Print.
“Facts.” COWSPIRACY. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.
---. COWSPIRACY. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.
FAO. “Livestock Impacts on the Environment.” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. N.p., 2006. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.
Feldstein, Lisa. “You Eat Where You Are: Disparities in Food Access.” N.p., 2007. Print.
“Fruits And Vegetables.” thisisthehealthylife.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
Fulton, Julian, Heather Cooley, and Peter Glieck. California’s Water Footprint. The Pacific Institute, 2012. Print.
Gerbens-Leenes, P. W., M. M. Mekonnen, and A. Y. Hoekstra. “The Water Footprint of Poultry, Pork and Beef: A Comparative Study in Different Countries and Production Systems.” Water Resources and Industry 1–2 (2013): 25–36. ScienceDirect. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. Water Footprint Assessment (WFA) for Better Water Governance and Sustainable Development.
Jacobson, Michael. “More and Cleaner Water.” Six Arguments for a Greener Diet: How a More Plant-Based Diet Could Save Your Health and the Environment. Washington, DC: Center for Science in the Public Interest, 2006. Print.
Patel, Raj. “Lecture: The Long Green Revolution.” Edible Education: The Rise and Future of the Food Movement. UC Berkeley. 2015.
Pimentel, David et al. “Water Resources: Agricultural and Environmental Issues.” BioScience 54.10 (2004): 909–918. bioscience.oxfordjournals.org. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.
Pollan, Michael. “Lecture: A Brief Timeline of Agricultural Issues.” Edible Education: The Rise and Future of the Food Movement. UC Berkeley. 2015.
Raj Patel: The Value of Nothing-the $200 Hamburger. N.p., 2010. Film.
Shindell, Drew T. et al. “Improved Attribution of Climate Forcing to Emissions.” Science 326.5953 (2009): 716–718. www.sciencemag.org. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.
Steinfeld, Henning et al. “Livestock’s Long Shadow.” (2006): n. pag. www.fao.org. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.
“The Environment -.” N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.
“USDA Economic Research Service - Background.” N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.
USDA ERS- Irrigation and Water Use. United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, 2013. Print.
US EPA. “Global Emissions | Climate Change.” N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.
“Water in a Changing Climate: Challenges, The New Blue Economy and the Role of Modern Business.” The Huffington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
“We Have a Social Media Policy, Now What?” Social Business News. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
What Is Factory Farming? - Us and the Planet. N.p., 2012. Film.
Wing, S. et al. “Community Based Collaboration for Environmental Justice: South-East Halifax Environmental Reawakening.” Environment and Urbanization 8.2 (1996): 129–140. CrossRef. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
Working Group I. Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. IPCC, 2013. Print.
EPA Office of Research and Development. Draft Plan to Study the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources. United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2011. Print.
“Facts.” COWSPIRACY. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.
---. COWSPIRACY. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.
FAO. “Livestock Impacts on the Environment.” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. N.p., 2006. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.
Feldstein, Lisa. “You Eat Where You Are: Disparities in Food Access.” N.p., 2007. Print.
“Fruits And Vegetables.” thisisthehealthylife.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
Fulton, Julian, Heather Cooley, and Peter Glieck. California’s Water Footprint. The Pacific Institute, 2012. Print.
Gerbens-Leenes, P. W., M. M. Mekonnen, and A. Y. Hoekstra. “The Water Footprint of Poultry, Pork and Beef: A Comparative Study in Different Countries and Production Systems.” Water Resources and Industry 1–2 (2013): 25–36. ScienceDirect. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. Water Footprint Assessment (WFA) for Better Water Governance and Sustainable Development.
Jacobson, Michael. “More and Cleaner Water.” Six Arguments for a Greener Diet: How a More Plant-Based Diet Could Save Your Health and the Environment. Washington, DC: Center for Science in the Public Interest, 2006. Print.
Patel, Raj. “Lecture: The Long Green Revolution.” Edible Education: The Rise and Future of the Food Movement. UC Berkeley. 2015.
Pimentel, David et al. “Water Resources: Agricultural and Environmental Issues.” BioScience 54.10 (2004): 909–918. bioscience.oxfordjournals.org. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.
Pollan, Michael. “Lecture: A Brief Timeline of Agricultural Issues.” Edible Education: The Rise and Future of the Food Movement. UC Berkeley. 2015.
Raj Patel: The Value of Nothing-the $200 Hamburger. N.p., 2010. Film.
Shindell, Drew T. et al. “Improved Attribution of Climate Forcing to Emissions.” Science 326.5953 (2009): 716–718. www.sciencemag.org. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.
Steinfeld, Henning et al. “Livestock’s Long Shadow.” (2006): n. pag. www.fao.org. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.
“The Environment -.” N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.
“USDA Economic Research Service - Background.” N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.
USDA ERS- Irrigation and Water Use. United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, 2013. Print.
US EPA. “Global Emissions | Climate Change.” N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.
“Water in a Changing Climate: Challenges, The New Blue Economy and the Role of Modern Business.” The Huffington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
“We Have a Social Media Policy, Now What?” Social Business News. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
What Is Factory Farming? - Us and the Planet. N.p., 2012. Film.
Wing, S. et al. “Community Based Collaboration for Environmental Justice: South-East Halifax Environmental Reawakening.” Environment and Urbanization 8.2 (1996): 129–140. CrossRef. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
Working Group I. Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. IPCC, 2013. Print.