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6.5 Meat & Fish Production (Producing Food Sustainably (reduce…
6.5 Meat & Fish Production
Meat Production
most consumed meats
pork
poultry
beef
meat production is increasing
cheaper animal feeds
improved transport
higher per capita incomes
how is it produced?
livestock grazing on grass in unfenced rangelands and enclosed pastures
industrialized, intensive factory farms that involve raising large numbers of animals bred to gain weight quickly
feedlots- outdoor intense feeding
some animals are fed soybean, fishmeal, or fish oil, some of these feed is doctored with growth hormones and antibiotics to accelerate livestock growth
factory farms- huge buildings of crowded pens and cages
healthy risks
growth hormones and antibiotics enter the human food chain with potential health risk
even more of a concern is antibiotic resistance
same antibiotic given to human for the same bacteria results with the drug having no effect as the pathogen is already immune
Industrialized Meat Production Harms the Environment
problems
habitat destruction
overgrazing
water consumption
Huge amounts of water are used to irrigate the crops that feed livestock
water pollution
livestock waste is washed away straight into waterways leading to eutrophication and pollution due to antibiotics, hormone and pesticides
climate change
meat production= more greenhouse gases than all of world's vehicles combined
Fisheries and Aquaculture can Harm Aquatic Ecosystems
problems with fisheries
overexploitation
species like tuna and cod are endangered
CO2
the world's fishing fleets use about 12.5 units of energy to put 1 unit of food energy from seafood on the table
fish contamination
many fish are contaminated with toxins like heavy metals, PCBs and Dioxins
Over killing
A third of all fish caught in oceans is used to make fishmeal/ fish oil to feed farmed fish and livestock
bottom trawling
trawler fishing boats drag large nets weighed down with chains to harvest bottom-feeding fish and shellfish, destroying seafloor habitat
problems with aquaculture
some species produce large amounts of waste that damages aquatic ecosystems (eutrophication)
important habitat is often destroyed to make way fro fish farms
farmed fish can be contaminated by pesticides meant to kill water pests or leached from farm soils
farmed fish are often fed large amounts of antibiotics that damage the ecosystem and promote antibiotic resistance
Producing Food Sustainably
reduce desertification
spread feeding and watering areas out so crowds of cattle don't run areas into mud= soil erosion
do not feed cattle antibiotics and growth hormones
only eat line-caught fish
eat less meat, fish and shellfish products