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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Robert Lawrence, MD, Spira/GRACE Project on Industrial Animal Production, Center for a Livable Future, School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Univers, Center for a Livable Future, SPH, Johns Hopkins, 145 S Spruce St, Lititz, PA PA 17543, (410) 614-4590, rlawrenc@jhsph.edu
Diets high in animal fat and patterns of inactivity have resulted in an epidemic of obesity and Type II Diabetes mellitus in the U.S. population. Abundant supplies of meat and other animal products at low cost to the consumer, intense marketing of fast foods, and cultural norms that emphasize the central place of meat in our diet combine to increase demand. Demand in turn stimulates the growth of Industrial Animal Production with its unhealthy impact on ecosystems of antibiotic and hormone use, poor waste management, excessive consumption of water, and inhumane treatment of animals. Demand for feed for the eight billion pigs, cows, chickens, and turkeys consumed each year in the U.S. drives industrial agriculture characterized by mono-cropping, reduced biodiversity, heavy reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and consumption of fossil fuels. About 1000 tons of water are needed for each ton of grain produced. Cattle consume 7 kilograms of grain for each kilogram of beef produced; pigs consume 4-5 kilograms of grain for each kilogram of pork produced; and poultry consume 2-3 kilograms of grain for each kilogram of meat produced. Thus, the high meat diet of the average American consumer exacts an enormous toll on the ecosystem of our lands, waters, and atmosphere. Reducing meat consumption would lower the risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and possibly some cancers while simultaneously easing pressures on industrial agriculture and reducing the risk of ecosystem destruction.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Food Safety, Environmental Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.