Sombart Revolution Wrecked on the Shoals of Roast Beef and Apple Pie
Big, Bad Beef
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March 23, 1992
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In the U.S., beef is king. More than six billion hamburgers were sold last year at fast-food restaurants alone. The average American consumes the meat of seven 1,100-pound steers in a lifetime. Some 100,000 cows are slaughtered every 24 hours. In South America, the cattle population is approaching the human population. In Australia, cattle outnumber people.
Beef has been central to the American experience. Entrance into the beef culture was viewed by many immigrants as a rite of passage into the middle class. Commenting on the failure of European socialism to gain a foothold in America, Werner Sombart, the German economist, wrote, "On the shoals of roast beef and apple pie, all socialist utopias founder."
Now, the good life promised by the beef culture has metamorphosed into an environmental and social nightmare for the planet.
Cattle raising is a major factor in the destruction of remaining rain forests. Since 1960, more than a quarter of Central American forests have been razed to make cattle pastures. In South America, 38 percent of the Amazon forest cleared has been for ranching.
The impact of cattle extends well beyond rain forests. According to a 1991 reportfor the U.N., as much as 85 percent of rangeland in the Western U.S. is being destroyed, largely by overgrazing. Nearly half the water used each year in the U.S. goes to grow feed for cattle and other livestock. A 1992 study by the California Department of Water Resources reported that more than 1,200 gallons of water are required to produce an eight-ounce boneless steak in California.
Cattle raising is even a significant factor in global warming. The burning of tropical forests to clear land for pasture releases millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. In addition, it is estimated that the earth's 1.28 billion cattle and other cud-chewing animals are responsible for 12 percent of the methane emitted into the atmosphere.
The beef addiction of the U.S. and other industrialized nations has also contributed to the global food crisis. Cattle and other livestock consume more than 70 percent of the grain produced in the U.S. and about a third of the world's total grain harvest -- while nearly a billion people suffer from chronic under-nutrition. If the U.S. land now used to grow livestock feed were converted to grow grain for human consumption, we could feed an additional 400 million people.
Despite the grim facts, the Government continues to pursue policies that support cattle production and beef consumption. For example, at the same time the Surgeon General is warning Americans to reduce their consumption of saturated fat, the Agriculture Department's Beef Promotion and Research Board is trying to persuade Americans to eat more beef. This year, the board is expected to spend $45 million on advertising.
Equally troubling is the Government's grading system to measure the value of beef. Established in 1927, the system grades beef on its fat content: the higher the fat "marbling," the better the beef. By favoring fat over lean beef, the Agriculture Department has helped promote greater amounts of saturated fat in the American diet and, in so doing, has contributed to rising health care costs.
Finally, the Government has been virtually subsidizing Western cattle ranchers, providing them with cheap access to millions of acres of public land. Today, 30,000 ranchers in 11 Western states pay less than $1.92 a month per cow for the right to graze cattle on nearly 300 million acres of public land.
In 1986, the Reagan Administration estimated the market value for pasturing cattle on the same grasslands to be between $6.40 and $9.50 a month. This giveaway program has resulted in land erosion and the destruction of native habitats and wildlife.
The Government's antiquated cattle and beef policies must be overhauled. The Agriculture Department needs to shift its priorities from promoting beef consumption to promoting a more balanced diet. Last year, the agency tried to do this by recommending a new "eating right" pyramid, which emphasized vegetables, fruit and grains. The effort was abandoned under pressure from the meat industry. The department's grading system should also be restructured, with new classifications that elevate the status of leaner cuts of beef.
In addition, Congress must pass legislation to insure that ranchers pay the market value for leased public lands. It should also reduce the public acreage available to ranchers, to help restore the Western grasslands and preserve the native wildlife and habitat.
If we reduce our beef consumption by at least 50 percent, we can help restore the global environment, free up arable land to grow food for hungry people, protect our own health and reduce the suffering of cattle and other animals.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/23/opinion/big-bad-beef.html
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