“Cattle Graze On Land That’s Unfit For Crops”
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A recent anti-vegan commenter wrote, albeit in terrible English:
“The land that is being used for meat production is not able to support crops. It’s either to [sic] rocky or its [sic] wetlands or some other type of property unfit for crops. [...] The land won’t be available to grow food.”
The Problems:
- It’s true that cows can graze on land that’s unfit for crops. But usually they don’t get a chance to graze at all. They’re kept in big warehouses in factory farms or “CAFOs.”
- It’s true that local, small farms that raise both animals and plants for human consumption as food can be “environmentally sustainable” and low on land use. However, the VAST majority of animal flesh that American meat-eaters consume doesn’t come from small, sustainable, local farms. Most of it comes from factory farms. And factory farming methods are unsustainable, period.
- And even if the commenter above were correct that none of the land currently used for animal agriculture could be used for plant agriculture, there’s still the problem that CAFOs are cruel, environmentally destructive, and a danger to human health.
The Solutions:
- Hydroponic gardening could make good use of land that’s “unfit” for growing crops.
- We should develop backyard gardens, community gardens, school gardens and use the land we can use for growing food rather than for pretty landscaping or empty lots.
- The average American consumes too much. He or she eats nearly 4000 calories a day – which can be too much even for an athlete or hard laborer. We need to reduce our consumption, and thus use less land overall.
I have another problem to add to the list: cattle are often grazed on public land that would otherwise be used to feed and ‘house’ wildlife; consequently, you have native wildlife forced off of publicly owned land in order to feed privately owned cattle. The current situation with the wild horses and burros on BLM land in the West is a prime example. Biodiversity coupled with climate change, and you don’t have to be an animal rights advocate to see why going veg is the more ethical option.
So what if there is some land that is unsuitable to growing crops? Do we have to exploit every inch of the planet? Can’t we just leave some of it to nature?
Excellent points, Matt and kelly. Thanks
As usual, good, objective points! After reading parts of Masanobu Fukuoka’s books One Straw Revolution & The Natural Way of Farming, I don’t think there is such a thing as unfit land. Land is made unfit by man’s inability to leave things alone &, as Matt said, exploit EVERY INCH OF THE PLANET!
In The Natural Way of Farming, Mr. Fukuoka talks about how to make deserts green again. Also, there’s a great interview with him called “Greening the Desert”. It’s here:
http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC14/Fukuoka.htm
Also, this Google link takes you to some other discussions of this concept.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Masanobu+Fukuoka+desert
I have more research to do to fully wrap my head around this concept, but it seems to make sense. And if you can green the desert, I think you can green anything. Well, until we have permanently eradicated so many plant species–then it might not be so possible.
I live in Las Vegas, which actually means “the meadows.” Everyone thinks of Vegas as a desert, but it’s not. Things grow here. WE even got a book called “Extreme Gardening” all about gardening in desert environments.