• global warming (methane release)
• Tropical deforestation (hambeurger connection, blaming the U.S. for deforestation)
• Water and air pollution

According to a this book [Beyond Beef: The Rise and Fall of the Cattle Culture, Jeremy Rifkin, 1992] 1000 lb steer consumes enough water to float a destroyer.

Also claims cattle take up 24% of the land mass.

Are these statement true?

This statement does not take into consideration all of the water that will return to the environment through the steer's urine and thus trys to make a false claim to attack the cattle industry.

No

No most deforestation in the tropics is due to social, political, economic pressures of other countries to expand cattle ranching.

The U.S. has its own source of beef production within its contentent.

• Slash and burn agriculture caused by small scale farms (also a source of Carbon Dioxide)
• increasing human population

• Health (heat related deaths, infectious diseases, air quaility-repiratory illneses)
• Agriculture (crop yield , irrigation demand, pest managment)
• Forest (heath, composition and productivity)
• Water Resources (changes in precipitation, water quality, and water supply)
• coastal areas (erosion and inundation of coastal lands, cost of protecting vulnerable lands)
• wild life (loss of diversity, species change shifts)

Small animals=shorter hibernation and breeding earlier

larger animals=expanding range, higher altitudes

less adaptation-greater ecosystem distruption

polar region=decline in polar bears, reproduction success lower, depleting summer sea-ice a main factor of problem.

sea ice is hunting grounds for polar bears and places for seals to nurse thier young in the summer

human activities

(industrial revolution, combustion engine, deforestation)

• increased CO2 from burning fossil fuels (oil, coal and natural gases)

• and harvesting

• Methane only stays in the atmosphere for 9-12 years vs 100,000 years for CO2 before oxidization to CO2 and Water
• Since methane produced by livestock comes from plant matter in thier diets, this CO2 is said to be carbon neutral (not exactly)
• Methane absorbs much more radiation than CO2 but nonetheless its short half life makes it less of a long term concern
• Current research is attempting to decrease the activity of methanogens in the ruman environment

• naural (wet lands, oceans, Termites)
• Energy (gas, oil, landfills)
• agriculture (rice, livestock, manure)

• lonophore feed additives (reduce emission)
• High concentrate diets (reduce emission)
• both (increase growth rate, decrease age to slaughter and thus make smaller life spands reducing methane release over the lifespand of the animal)

forage diets (i.e. fiber) cause more methane release

1. High requirments and low urine concentration (cattle, buffalo, pig, horse)
2. intermediate requirment, medium urine concentration (warm, dry, semiarid savana animals such as donkey and sheep)
3. low requirment and high urine concentration (arid climate animals such as goat, camel and ostrich)

poor urine concentration = inefficient

high urine concentration = efficient

major concern for excess nutrients with pathogens that cause disease

nitrates and phosphorus contaminate ground water cause eutrophiation (water becomes enriched with nutrients that stimulate plant growth and depletes dissoved oxygen)

• feed additives (phytases) -reduces amount excreated by increasing available phyate phosphorus

• new variety of feed (corn) - reduces phytic acid but increases bioavailability of phosphorus

• diet formulation-ecological nutrition or precision nutriton (highly digestible protiens, synthetic amino acids, bioavailable phosphous source)

• novel means-transgenic pigs (segrete salivary phytase - reduce phosphorus secteation)

• treat it (bioremediation) neutralization by bacteria
• burning for energy, or methane production for electricity or fuel
• use for fertalizer or soil amendment (poultry litter burned to generate power)

compositng done correclty kills pathogens (not feasible for lare scale operations)

care must be taken so waste doesnt make it into water if using as fertilizer

Fixing air polution do to livestock

(oder and gases)

• Diet modification (lower protien concentration, blalance amino acid, use of synthetic amino acids)
• lagoon managment
• regulations
• airborn particles (dust) managment

• Alley cropping (rows of trees with rows of crops) trees provide shade from tropical sun, livestock reduce weed pressure.
• fast growing trees
• leguminous trees (leucaena leucocephala) in the tropic have an added bonus of fixing N2
• integrate livestock into stables (benefit farmers and wildlife)
• Cut and Carry System (tropics) protects delicate pasture/forest environments (livestock are brough cut grass in pens)

They were working togethere toward the enactment of comprehensive new federal legisation for egg laying hens.

This is stunning because generally animal industries and animal protection agencies generally dont get along.

compromise would focus on

cage size, labeling requirements, regulation other production practices

HSUS agreed to suspend state-level initiatives in OR and WA

• Prevent cruelty under the assumption that farmers dont care about their animals
• Better food saftey under the assumption that slaughterhouse cruelty puts consumers at risk and creates disease
• Supports family farmers under the assumption that big farms cut corners and puts small farms out of business
• Protects the environment under the assumption that it will protect natural resources

What are the arguments against Prop 2 and how could it actually be harmful?

(this was passed in CA)

• it is unnecessary since CA law already protects these animals
• Causes more risks of contracting Avian influenza, salmella and other diseases with open range systems
• harms the consumer by causing higher prices, costing 1000 jobs, and causing economic loss (95% business loss by 2015 and production increase of 76%)

Not about the animals but about the system

• primary source both in developed and developing  countries of Protein
• Battery cage most common system in US (95%)
• National egg flock average is 280 million hens (top 5 states iowa, ohio, PA, IN, and CA)

• housing systems, especally battery cages
• group sizes and stocking density
• beak-trimming
• induced molting
• bone weakness
• handling, depopulation and transport
• slaughter

Must

• feed and water
• light, air quality, space
• sanitation

Should

• express important natural behaviors
• protection (disease, injury, predation
• promote food safety

Developed in the 30's to reduce disease

• Positives
• reduce exposure to enviromental stressors
• reduced injury and pecking mortality
• food safety (clean eggs)
• individual bird monitoring
• better biosecurity
• air quality with low ammonia/dust/bacteria
• Negatives
• restriction of natural behaviors and strenght
• decrease performance comfort behavior (wind flapping)
• nesting and roosting not an option
• variable risks (cage injury)
• feather pecking

• Positives
• more freedome to move
• greatest range of behavioral opportunities
• exercise promotes bone strength and better feather condition
• Negatives
• higher mortality and foot problems
• increased diseases and toxin exposure (wild birds etc)
• predators and climatic extremes
• more feather pecking and cannibalism
• difficult to manage
• despite stronger bones more breakage during lay

• Positive
• perches (improves bone strength/foot and claw health)
• nest box
• litter, reduces feather pecking
• larger cages
• Negative
• injuries (bone fracture)
• variable risks (provoking aggression, harboring disease vecotors)
• Food Saftey (promotes egg eating behavior or damaged/soiled eggs)

Male

• sold to feedlots or calf ranches at 4 months
• breeding stock
• become veal calves

Female

• replacement for dairy cows
• kept on dairy or calf ranch

Traditional indidual housing/tethering

• individual
• Positive = diseas control and contact grooming
• Negative = limits movement and play

• Group
• Positive = stimulates play, interaction and movement
• Negative = disease and sanitation issues

Crates have been long retired and tethers are not stressful

Dependent on beef or dariy cow

purpose of tail

(communication/behavior, fly control,temperature control)

Arguments for

(prevents mastisis)

AVMA doesnt think there is a link between the two

may just be for human comfort

alternatives

(trim switch, dry housing/bedding)

• young calves dont require fiber and actually cant digest it till 3-5 months (born pre-ruminant)
• thrive when fed milk
• tail docking reduces injury due to stepping on or caught in slats, will prevent infections (this is more regional and not necessary is some cases unlike dairy where docking prevents mastices)

Iron and copper determine meat color

• "Bob veal" (1day to few weeks)
• veal (around 5 months)
• "special fed" (rose or pink from more iron/copper)

• 3 areas of compromise (health, natural behavior, affective states (pain, distress)
• housing
• diet
• cows pregnant continually
• castration
• dehorning
• identification

• Mycotoxins-contamination of feedstuff (mold)
• Antibiotics-produced by fung (protect from bacteria)

only plants survive without producing toxins

plants selected for lower toxin levels (corn wouldnt survive without human intervention)

plants produce thier own herbicides through thier leaves, or roots and it inhibit gowth of other plants

we can reduce pesticides by...

• use resistant crop varieties, crop rotation, bilogical control agents.
• also weather monitoring and field scouting to determine prevalence and state of development.

• Select variety of food from a variety of sources
• Buy fruits/veggies in season when possible
• read food lables carfully
• wash and scrub

Fact or False

meat consumption contributes to famine and depletes the earth's natural resources?

False

2/3 of our earth's dry lands is unsuitable for farming, livestock make a vital contribution to humanitiy's well being also food given to livestock can not be diverted to feed humans.

Fact or Fiction

Vitamin B12 can be obtained from plant sources

Fiction

B12 is only found in animal foods, other products must be fortified with it. None of these are real B12 thus those "true vegans" do not get B12 to prevent anemia and have impaired metabolism and all have low B12 concentrations.

1. food is a basic human right
2. choice is a consumer right
3. sustainability is environmentaly right

1. prevention
2. intervention
3. response

What are certain pathogenic bacteria the USDA food Safety and inspection (FSIS) inspect for?

E-coli (ground beef)

Listeria (ready to eat meats) generally not a threat unless elderly or immune compromised

• FDA approval process (animals health companies required to sumbit data)
• Ongoing government oversight (USDA, FDA, CDC track and limit development of resistant bacteria.
• Risk Assessments (conducted and published by FDA, animal health companies and 3rd party researchers
• Judicious use programs (guidlines to farmers and veterinarians that are species-specific)

(used to treat, prevent and maintain livestock FDA approved 40 years ago)

• FDA-coordinates and monitors in retail meals
• CDC-collects and samples to monitor foodborn pathogens in humans
• USDA-collects samples to monitor trends in farm animals

• increased in deaths and disease
• increase in use of anibiotics to treat diseases
• Resistance to some antibiotics decreased in animals
• resistance to other has increased
• little support to suggest resistance in humans has declined

• animal kept inside are healthier but disease challenges are different
• can't afford to over use antibiotic products
• unethical for them not to treat sick animals\
• used in minute doses

The fear is new laws will prevent the treatment of sick animals

• low numbers of somatic cell and bacteria
• free of human pathogens (Listeria, Brucella, Salmonella, etc) and antibiotic residues
• SCC (used throughout the world - means higher counts higher pathogens and toxins)
• SPC (estimation total number of viable aerobic bacterian in raw milk)

1. healthy cows and herd plan
2. strict on-farm milking procedures
3. quick cooling of milk and immediate transportation
4. testing for antibiotic residues
5. pasteurization
6. biosecurity

• direct contact with feces
• infection of udder (masitis)
• cow diseases (bovine tuberculosis)
• bacteria living on the skin of cow
• environment
• insects, rodents and other vectors
• humans (cross contamination)

Yes

disease outbreaks are considerably higher

higher risk in those with

weakened immune systems

older adults

pregnant women and children

DOES NOT STOP LACTOSE INTOLERANCE OR ALLERGIES IT IS STLL MILK

no if it tests positive it cant be sold

this also applies to pesticides

mechanically treated to ensure smoth even consistency

longer shelf life

ease for farmers to remove certain % of fat

Fact or Fiction

hormones used in meat production is harmful to people and the environment.

Fiction

only 5 hormones approved in beef prodution and none used in veal, pig or poultry production.

Fact or Fiction

most U.S. cattle are fed an unnatural diet of corn when grass would be more natural

Fiction

• most U.S. beef comes from pasture-fed grain-finished cattle
• recieve feed rations nutritionally balanced
• veterinarians monitor cattle health and well-being
• feeding grain-based ration for shor-time--better meat quality and product for consumer
• (cattle are feed corn with other roughage needed for digestion/ cattle and deer enjory when they can get it

non-nutritive substances added to feeds to improve

• influence feed stability, feed manufacturing (mold inhibitors, pellet binders, antioxidants)
• modify Fi, digestion, growth, feed efficiency, metabolism(feed flavors, digestive/metabolic modifers, growth promotors)
• modify animal health (drugs, enironmentally active substances)
• Modify consumer acceptance (pigmenting agents)

(NOT: synthetic aa, vitamins, minerals)

when oil is exposed to air in crushing, a Rancid smell is created and nutrition and palatability is decreased.

To prevent this antioxidant feed attitives are used (natural are Vit E and C but they are expensive so levels of syntheic ones that are approved by the FDA are used.

Also mold inhibitors (Mycotoin)

Pellet binders (more food in smaller space)

• B-glucanase (gummy CHO in grains) are not produced by animals and cant be digested
• other non-starch polysaccharides affect performance
• Cellulases (improves utilization in non-rumans)
• Phytases (have impact on phosphorus and nitrogen)
• buffers resist changes in pH (rumants)
• antibloat agents gas buildup in rumans
• defaunating agents kill of protooa in rumen
• lonophores anibiotics that inhibi grown of certain bacteria (feed efficiency and grwoth rate)

• Hyp cholesterol effects-lower cholesterol content of meat and eggs
• Ginger affets performance and lowers serum cholesterol triglyceride and glucose in boilers
• Gossypol-enriched cottonseed mealproduct eggs and chickeen meat with anti-cancer properties

no

only one is beef cattle melengestrol acetate (synthetic progesterone-suppresses estrus in heifers-used for breeding)

• Probiotics-live microbial supplements that may be beneficial to host (improving GI microbial balance) (Lactoballius acidophilus found in yogurt a major source) also yeast *lacks signtific data
• Copper sulfate, growth promotion activity, modifies gut flora (improves growth, feed coersion and reduces enteric diseases.
• Arsenicals, nitrofurans, sulfonamides

• Yucca plant extrac (sarsaponins) used to control ammonia levels
• Zeolites clay minerals -used to control ammonia levels but also affect fatty acids composition in egg quality
• Xanthophyll pigment-yellow color of egg yolks

• substances that cause change in nutrient profile of body tissue-repartitioning of nutrients from fat to protein.
• stimulates protein formation while decreasing body fat
• Raptopamine (only in U.S. b=agonists) feed to swine mostly but also cattle in weeks prior to slaughter (eat less/more efficient and less waste)
• U.S. vs Russia

• animal welfare, feeding and nutrition programs are often better due to resources and monitoring and control
• pollution-afford sophisticated systems-ensure less air and water pollution
• product quality-total control of genetic, nutrition, health programs=produce more consistent and uniform, high quality products
• worker benefits

(some states have legislation prohibiting coroprate farming - development/expansion-)

• Poultry is vertically integrated (concentrated into fewer and larger units that control all aspects of production)

only the breeding sector is still mostly independent

• Swine and dairy is moving toward vertical integration
• cow-calf portion of beef is controlled by individual farmers
• feedlots are industrialized (like poultry)

• Reproduction-can be completely regulated cycles unlike other animals
• Genetics and Selections-short cycle animals (reach maturity fast) Genetic seletion happens quickly
• Nutrition-digestive physiology and dietary strategies make them favorable (most efficient in converting corn-soy diets to "meat"
• secrete uric acid not urea (dry)
• lower water requirements
• animal-behavior-can be raised at high stocking density in dim lighting
• low labor requirment (mechanized system)
• Marketing advantages-no religious constrictions, cheaper
• unifromity of product-strains highly uniform
• Easily Globalized-moved to china etc

• air and waer pollution
• effec on human health
• disruption of communities in rural residents (odor)
• property values decline
• destroy infastructure of family-based agriulture
• ecnomic impact (loss of jobs and local income)
• political gerrymandering (creates climate suitable for corporate farm development

it is going back to the "good old days"

it was hardest hit by gestation stalls

Since the government controls are aspects of animal agriculture, even down to what the animals can be used for, they created new legislatin preventing the use of antibiotics

• animals which were once domestic but since reverted back to a state of nature are termed "feral" wild by nature, especially based on behavior.

Consequences of feral animals

*not all invasivew mammal species casue problems*

• predation and competition
• Extirpation (destroy totally) native species
• soil disturbances and land degration (ruin watering holes that wildlife uses, destroy parks, gol courses,athletic fields, eat agricultural crops)
• nutrient recycling
• water quality deterioration
• disease transmission vector to livestock, wildlife and humans (some of these disease were eradicated and are now showing up agian)

Feral horse problem!

--grazing preferecne smooth cord grasses (found in tidal areas and functions as protection from storms) this leads to erosion problems

--eat sponish moss that is vital for amphibians, sea turtle nesting and brooding birds

--unlike cow, horses trample vegetation and over graze causing soil to be hard-packed

--force bighorn sheep out of area and away from water sources

--graze in higher elevations than cattle normally would

FERAL Hogs

--disrupts nutrient recycling, eat vegetaion important to invertebrates (insects, worms, turtles, etc.) eat eggs

• around 400,000 horses and millions of donkeys
• occur in extensive cattle productions (drawn to cattle resources)
• eat pasture grasses, destroy fences, casue cattle to scatter, cary exotic diseases)

destroy drought areas much faster

Wild Hogs

• Hogs brought from Europe and Asia
• Colombus brought them to the Caribbean, and De Soto brought them to Florida
• they kill fish
• make it easier for inasive plants to take hold
• can eat lambs, deer and quail depending on the case
• eat eggs

• adapt to almost any condition, climate or ecosystem (live in all of Texa's varing ecosystems)
• Intelligent animals (evade trapping)
• Have no natural predators
• Prolific breeders (if reduced by 70% within 2 or 3 years the numbers would be just as high as before)
• breed at 6 to 8 months and live to 4 or 8 years
• two litters per year with 8-12 piglets each litter
• opportunistic omnivores (snout strenghtend by and end plate of cartlige)

• Lethal means: (intensive harvesting, snares, poisoning, traps, sterilization, slaughter [danger to other wildlife]
• Non-leathal means: exclusion of feral pigs from areas prone to damage (fening) [expensive and not useful in large areas]

problem once a pig servives a means of extermination it is smarter and will avoid the same method

• wild are smaller and have narrower skulls due to less nutrition
• wild have curved tusks up to 7in and an elongated snout
• wild have thick brisk hair and dark skin
• sexually mature males develop shields (thick 2inch hard tissue on sholders)
• females roam in groups males remain solitary
• nocternal

Escaped pigs change quickly

• seen as a game species and illegal translocation has contributed to the large population of feral hogs around the U.S.
• escaped pigs from farms
• Used as Exotic meat (not gamy or greasy) pigs must be alive and then processed in a plant overseen by a USDA inspector
• Most meat sent to Europe and Southeast Asia
• American market growing

Easily transmitted to domestic pigs/lifestock and humans

• Pseudorabies-viral disease of central nervouse system (life carrier) will not effect humans but all other domestic/wild animals
• Swine Brucellosis-infertility and abortions (no cure) transmitted through reproductive discharges (life carrier)
• Tuberculosis-main reservoirs are humans and cattle (pigs carry it but dont exibit signs)
• Anthrax-soil-borne disease associated with neutral or alkaline soils (reservoirs for spores) (Endemic areas TX, CA, AR, MS, NE, SD
• and can spread e-coli like in Sallnas Valley

Molecular techniques

• study genetic structure and dispersal patterns

(genetic marker data)

• follows herd movement and population structure in order to control the population

Most widely consumed beef product amoung American consumers.

according to lean percentages

some also labeled according to portion derived from (ground chuck, round, siroin)

beef product developed by Beef Products, Inc. (BPI) in 1991 to provide more domestic lean beef

trimmings are heated to 100F and centrifuged, separating fat from meat (94 to 97% lean beef)

there is the additonal developed process of using ammonium gas as a antimicrobial intervention (pH enhancement)

Aproved by USDA 2001 following an E coli scare with undercooked hambergures

effectively kills both E coli and salmonells (its an antimicrobial)

1. trim (part of carcass that is left after specifec "cuts" of meat are cut) has a high fat content
2. 95% lean (beef is separated from fat)
3. Add food-grade ammonia gas (mixed with water creates ammonium hydroxxide which rizes the pH level in LFTB and kills pathogens.
4. quickly frozen and packaged
5. Combine LFTB with beef trimmings = ground beef

Kills alot f the harmful bacteria that could be present

this practice was approved over 20 years ago

IN GAS FOR NOT LIQUID HOUSE CLEANER

• USDA gave school districs the choice between ground beef with or without LFTB
• Retailers halted use of LFTB prior to some fast food chains
• Kroger originally banned then gave consumer feedback
• Whole foods and Costco claimed they never bought the stuff
• Walmart gave consumers the choice
• BPI cut LFTB production
• Ground beef prices rise
• more beef imported from Austraila and New Zealand
• packers lost more than $100 per head then producers lost

April 2 2012 USDA confirmed some companies requested LFTB be added to labels on ground beef

• approved
• voluntary lable
• USKA certify labels are correct
• LFTB not included in required ingrediant lable