21
9
33
30 answers have been researched
out of a potential 63 (7 Companies x 9 Metrics).

47.6 %

Researched

Global meat production has quadrupled since the 1960’s. By the year 2050, we are expected to produce 465 million tons of meat a year. The focus of the industry is to make the cost of meat as cheap as possible. This goal often leads to environmental catastrophes, in addition to causing harm to communities worldwide. The World Health Organization has for the first time categorized some meat products as Group 1 Carcinogens, meaning that there is significant research to suggest that it contributes to cancer in humans. Other substances in this category include tobacco and asbestos. Issues stemming from the meat production industry contribute to several other global environmental issues. Many of these involve the resources needed to maintain the livestock. The required land has caused major deforestation, especially in the Brazilian Amazon. Next is the issue of water management. The cattle, as well as the food they eat, require vast amounts of fresh and recycled water. Each pound of beef uses a total of 2,500 gallons of water. This has in many regions involved tapping into reservoirs that put water security for millions of people at risk. These same people are then threatened by the contamination of local water systems due to unsafe farm discharge. The water waste is causing devastation to underwater ecosystems, and causing species extinctions. The meat industry is also a leading contributor to our antibiotics crisis. Farm animals are given 28 million pounds of drugs a year, in a world that could soon face an antibiotics shortage. This heavy use in the meat is eventually converted to the humans eating it, accelerating the evolution of anti-biotic resistant superbugs. The next step towards sustainability is twofold: consumers must become more understanding of the damage that high levels of meat consumptions can cause, and producers must stop cutting corners to compete for the lowest price point. Many harmful side effects of the increasing demand are going unnoticed. Lobbying efforts worldwide have maintained a serious knowledge gap between the producers and consumers of the meat. This project serves to assist those interested in bridging this gap.