Concentrated Animal Feedlot Operations and Their Risks
Following Michael Pollan’s view in his book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, he covers the realm of concentrated animal feedlot operations (COFAs) in his extensive spiel about the overarching concept of corn in our society. He discusses his purchased steer, number 534, as he accompanies its journey through the system. In the beginning 534 enjoyed his life on a green pasture with his mother for six months, until he became strong and bulky enough to get a change of scenery. He was then transferred to a lovely place called a backgrounding pen; where 534 learned to live in a pen, eat from a trough, and to consume a new diet. Pollan’s observational study lead him to find many complications regarding …show more content…
Many say that overall they are beneficial; that they allow animals to digest food more readily, that they get more benefits from their food, avoid more illness, and that they will grow stronger due to this. The trend of using antibiotics has increased due to the boost in demand for more meat at a faster rate. The small confinement in concentrated animal feedlot operations means that more bacteria and pathogens will spread, spiking illness rates. At first glance antibiotics may seem like a considerable solution to our problems, but in the long run they may become our inevitable downfall. There is indication that the high volume use of antibiotics is leading to an escalation of antibiotic-resistant microbes. As nature works, nutrients is absorbed from what we eat. If we are consuming antibiotic infused meat then a percentage of antibiotics is infusing our systems as well, because of this meat eaters are becoming immune to the current antibiotics we have to fight disease. Antibiotics cannot be fully metabolized by livestock, so as well as the consumption and handling the meat, the antibiotics can be found in the manure which can runoff into enclosing surface water, therefore affecting us
Following Michael Pollan’s view in his book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, he covers the realm of concentrated animal feedlot operations (COFAs) in his extensive spiel about the overarching concept of corn in our society. He discusses his purchased steer, number 534, as he accompanies its journey through the system. In the beginning 534 enjoyed his life on a green pasture with his mother for six months, until he became strong and bulky enough to get a change of scenery. He was then transferred to a lovely place called a backgrounding pen; where 534 learned to live in a pen, eat from a trough, and to consume a new diet. Pollan’s observational study lead him to find many complications regarding …show more content…
Many say that overall they are beneficial; that they allow animals to digest food more readily, that they get more benefits from their food, avoid more illness, and that they will grow stronger due to this. The trend of using antibiotics has increased due to the boost in demand for more meat at a faster rate. The small confinement in concentrated animal feedlot operations means that more bacteria and pathogens will spread, spiking illness rates. At first glance antibiotics may seem like a considerable solution to our problems, but in the long run they may become our inevitable downfall. There is indication that the high volume use of antibiotics is leading to an escalation of antibiotic-resistant microbes. As nature works, nutrients is absorbed from what we eat. If we are consuming antibiotic infused meat then a percentage of antibiotics is infusing our systems as well, because of this meat eaters are becoming immune to the current antibiotics we have to fight disease. Antibiotics cannot be fully metabolized by livestock, so as well as the consumption and handling the meat, the antibiotics can be found in the manure which can runoff into enclosing surface water, therefore affecting us