Why do we feed corn to cows? The corn will sicken them and in turn, the humans who eat them. So why do it? To answer that, first of all, we need to understand farm policy for that country, especially US. I remember very often people tell me that grain fed beef is good for health, and there are also really crazy people who told me eating organic whole foods is not good. Well, from time to time, I meet some really 'out of whack' folks and usually these people are just lazy and don't bother about their health so much.
Anyway, let's continue with some discussion about something else. I'm not going to discuss the farm policy of different countries as it will be quite boring, and I don't think most of you readers out there want to know it either. We feed corn to cows because it's now cheap. Some cultures consider feeding corn to animals a sacrilege, for corporate control of our food, it's a necessity.
Everything about corn meshes smoothly with the gears of this giant machine, grass don't. Grain is the closest thing in nature to an industrial commodity, storable, portable, fungible, ever the same today as it was yesterday and will be tomorrow. Since it can be accumulated and traded. grain is a form of wealth. It is a weapon too, the nation with the biggest surpluses of grain have always exerted power over the ones in short supply.
Throughout history, governments have encouraged their farmers to grow more then enough grain, to protect against famine, to free up labor for other purposes, to improve the trade balance and generally to augment their own power. In an industrial economy, the growing of grain supports the larger economy, which is the chemical industry, the oil industry as well as biotech industries, usually in most developed countries.
Having enough of this orgy of cheap carbohydrates, the government then helped the grain cartels to use its 'subsidization' with tax relief, exempting them from environmental protection laws, and developing a meat grading system that elevated the fat 'marbling' of grain fed beef.
Now, understand grass. Grass is not a commodity. It can't be easily stored, shipped or standardized and even traded. It, the grass, like sunlight and rain, is the ultimate local, decentralized resource. And like sunlight and rain, it cannot lead to the condensation of power. Grass farmers need few if any fertilizers, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and fossil fuel. They aren't an industry. They are actual farmers, engaged in work that requires a skill set, not an instruction manual.
Grass, can't be turned into the hyper-processed cheap junk that fills our grocery stores. It can only be passed through a ruminant who will turn it into food, not a commodity, food as rooted as grass in a local ecology and a local economy, and potentially a local politics.
We feed corn to cows because corn is impossibly cheap, and feeding it to cows makes them grow fast, much faster then their native diet. A grain feed steer reaches market weight in nine to twelve months instead of two years. Commercial chickens reach adulthood in six weeks rather then the five months they normally took.
Throughout history, governments have encouraged their farmers to grow more then enough grain, to protect against famine, to free up labor for other purposes, to improve the trade balance and generally to augment their own power. In an industrial economy, the growing of grain supports the larger economy, which is the chemical industry, the oil industry as well as biotech industries, usually in most developed countries.
Having enough of this orgy of cheap carbohydrates, the government then helped the grain cartels to use its 'subsidization' with tax relief, exempting them from environmental protection laws, and developing a meat grading system that elevated the fat 'marbling' of grain fed beef.
Now, understand grass. Grass is not a commodity. It can't be easily stored, shipped or standardized and even traded. It, the grass, like sunlight and rain, is the ultimate local, decentralized resource. And like sunlight and rain, it cannot lead to the condensation of power. Grass farmers need few if any fertilizers, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and fossil fuel. They aren't an industry. They are actual farmers, engaged in work that requires a skill set, not an instruction manual.
Grass, can't be turned into the hyper-processed cheap junk that fills our grocery stores. It can only be passed through a ruminant who will turn it into food, not a commodity, food as rooted as grass in a local ecology and a local economy, and potentially a local politics.
We feed corn to cows because corn is impossibly cheap, and feeding it to cows makes them grow fast, much faster then their native diet. A grain feed steer reaches market weight in nine to twelve months instead of two years. Commercial chickens reach adulthood in six weeks rather then the five months they normally took.
The resulting product may be cheap, but there is a price to be paid for all of us, animals, land, rivers, farmers, consumers, and citizens, paying it. So, you are an environmentalist, being a vegetarian, then why are you supporting commodities instead of food, corporate profits over local, living economies, and power over justice?
Farming is a pyramid. They have flooded the airwaves with their PR campaigns. Well, I'm sure all of you know the tagline, "Supermarket to the world". But, do you understand what this tiny handful of companies is and what it's doing? They have driven prices down below production costs and kept them there. They have gotten the federal government, the taxpayers (which is us!), to make up the difference. They have destroyed small farms and local economies across the globe. And now, they own patents on the seeds themselves. I'm sure some of you might heard of Monsanto? Those seeds represent the knowledge, labor, and heritage of all of humanity, and their DNA is now owned by one of those super huge powerful companies such as Monsanto and ADM.
Folks, read the labels on your soymilk and the groovy multi grain flakes you pour in. You might be surprised what you read and discovered. Anyone heard of Dean Foods? Probably not in Malaysia as much, but in US, it's huge. Dean Foods owns White Wave, and guess what? The main shareholders of Dean Foods are Citigroup, Coca-Cola, Exxon Mobil, GE, Home Depot, Microsoft (yes, Microsoft!), Pfizer, Phillip Morris, and of course, Wal Mart. How about General Mills? Anyone heard of this company? Do you know who are the shareholders for this company? Check this out. The shareholders are, Chevron, Disney, DuPont, Exxon Mobil, GE, McDonalds (yes!), Monsanto, Nike, Pepsico, Starbucks and Phillip Morris. Also, I'm sure some of you guys heard of Kraft Foods right? Cheese, remember? And yes, Phillip Morris owns Kraft Foods (if I could still remember). I could go on and on revealing tons of these information, but am I making my point here?
Before I sign off this topic, check this out. Consider a farmer in Ghana, who used to be able to make a living growing rice. Several years ago, Ghana was able to feed itself and export their surplus. Now, it imports rice. From where? Developed countries. Why? Because it's cheaper. Even if it costs the rice producer in the developed world much more to produce the rice, he doesn't have to make a profit from his crop. The government pays him to grow it, so if he can sell it more cheaply to Ghana than the farmer in Ghana can. And that farmer in Ghana? He can't feed his family anymore. Sad, but true.
If you are an environmentalist, why don't you know any of this? Have a moment for yourself, think and ask yourself, why? And of course, you must have an open mind. I shared quite a bit about 'politics' related topic in this post. Till then...
Farming is a pyramid. They have flooded the airwaves with their PR campaigns. Well, I'm sure all of you know the tagline, "Supermarket to the world". But, do you understand what this tiny handful of companies is and what it's doing? They have driven prices down below production costs and kept them there. They have gotten the federal government, the taxpayers (which is us!), to make up the difference. They have destroyed small farms and local economies across the globe. And now, they own patents on the seeds themselves. I'm sure some of you might heard of Monsanto? Those seeds represent the knowledge, labor, and heritage of all of humanity, and their DNA is now owned by one of those super huge powerful companies such as Monsanto and ADM.
Folks, read the labels on your soymilk and the groovy multi grain flakes you pour in. You might be surprised what you read and discovered. Anyone heard of Dean Foods? Probably not in Malaysia as much, but in US, it's huge. Dean Foods owns White Wave, and guess what? The main shareholders of Dean Foods are Citigroup, Coca-Cola, Exxon Mobil, GE, Home Depot, Microsoft (yes, Microsoft!), Pfizer, Phillip Morris, and of course, Wal Mart. How about General Mills? Anyone heard of this company? Do you know who are the shareholders for this company? Check this out. The shareholders are, Chevron, Disney, DuPont, Exxon Mobil, GE, McDonalds (yes!), Monsanto, Nike, Pepsico, Starbucks and Phillip Morris. Also, I'm sure some of you guys heard of Kraft Foods right? Cheese, remember? And yes, Phillip Morris owns Kraft Foods (if I could still remember). I could go on and on revealing tons of these information, but am I making my point here?
Before I sign off this topic, check this out. Consider a farmer in Ghana, who used to be able to make a living growing rice. Several years ago, Ghana was able to feed itself and export their surplus. Now, it imports rice. From where? Developed countries. Why? Because it's cheaper. Even if it costs the rice producer in the developed world much more to produce the rice, he doesn't have to make a profit from his crop. The government pays him to grow it, so if he can sell it more cheaply to Ghana than the farmer in Ghana can. And that farmer in Ghana? He can't feed his family anymore. Sad, but true.
If you are an environmentalist, why don't you know any of this? Have a moment for yourself, think and ask yourself, why? And of course, you must have an open mind. I shared quite a bit about 'politics' related topic in this post. Till then...
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