What Is the Cost of the Meat We Eat?

If you’ve ever driven through parts of the San Juaquin Valley in Central California, you’ve probably noticed the stench and, quite possibly, had difficulty breathing. The stench and foul air come from factory farms whose animal waste is emitted as ammonia from lagoons and combines with other molecules in the air to become ammonia nitrate. It is a very visible sign of the danger that factory farming poses to the animals themselves, to the environment, and to our health. It suggests that there are far more serious hidden costs that lurk behind the monetary cost of our meat and dairy products.

Factory farms, also known as concentrated animal feeding operations, are agricultural establishments that house over 1,000 animals for at least 45 days per year, with the animals not fed from pastureland. In other words, factory farms aim to maximize output while minimizing costs. As a result, animals on factory farms are not allowed to rear their offspring, are confined to extremely cramped and poorly ventilated areas, and often never even encounter real soil. Federal regulations offer some protection to farm animals other than poultry, but only during transport and when slaughtered. State laws typically exclude farm animals from animal cruelty laws, and some states even have enacted laws that criminalize whistleblowing on factory farms. Farm animals, in short, often live lives filled with abuse.

In addition to issues related to the ethical treatment of animals, factory farms adversely affect the environment in ways that are subtle and indirect. For example, their growth has led to deforestation and a loss of biodiversity in areas with factory farming. The intensive use of farmland to house and to feed animals has led to soil depletion. More directly, factory farms are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, which derive from animal digestion and waste. In addition, animal waste, unlike human waste, is not treated before it is released into the environment. Animal waste is typically stored in man-made lagoons, but when these fill, the waste is either sprayed on fields or runs into groundwater.

Finally, because animals are housed in crowded, unsanitary conditions, they are extremely susceptible to disease. To keep them as healthy as possible, animals are force-fed antibiotics as a preventative measure.  This dosing practice creates antibiotic-resistant pathogens. According to 2019 data from the CDC, there are about 2.8 million infections (or about 1 out of every 120 Americans) and 35,000 deaths annually caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Globally, a study based on data from the World Health Organization showed that almost 5 million people died in 2019 from antibiotic-resistant diseases.

We contribute to the factory farms’ animal abuse, degradation of the environment, and undermining public health whenever we purchase meat or dairy products produced on factory farms. This means that, as consumers, we can have an enormous impact on the environment by changing our behavior. In particular, we can:

• Purchase meat or dairy products raised or produced on family farms. Family farms typically treat their animals far better, don’t apply antibiotics as a preventative measure, and create far less animal waste. Family farms also stimulate local economies in ways that factory farms do not.
• Begin eating more meatless dishes. These meat replacements include:
  • Eggplant, which is rich in antioxidants and other nutrients.
  • Beans, peas, and lentils, which are sources of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein.
  • Tofu, which is rich in protein and amino acids.
  • Plant-based meat. Plant-based meat products (such as ground beef, beef crumbles, chicken tenders, sausages, hot dogs, and beef slices) often taste as good as, or even better than, their meat-based equivalents.

You are invited to a meatless barbeque!

On Saturday, August 26, after 5:00 mass, the Social Justice Commission at SJV is sponsoring a meatless barbeque. It will feature: tofu sauteed in sesame oil as an appetizer; meatless chili made with beef crumbles, plant-based hamburgers, plant-based sausages, plant-based hot dogs, as the main course; and plant-based chocolate mousse as a dessert. It will be followed by a screening of The Letter, a documentary that is in many ways a sequel to Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home.