Position paper (4/6/08)

The Omnivore’s Dilemma discusses the alterations in the American food chain in order to meet the demands of the economy. In the process of making these changes, farm animals have suffered tremendously. The book specifically addresses the change in the maintenance of cows.
There was a time when cows would graze the fields, eating the food that was intended for them, which at that time was grass. Now with the demands of society the diet and life style of cows has changed immensely. When scientist and farmers discovered how cheap of a product corn was to maintain and grow they began to use it anywhere they could. Cows have now been trained to feed on corn due to the fact that it fattens them up quicker and it enables farmers to utilize their land more efficiently. Large areas of land are no longer reserved for cows to graze on because the severe alterations in their diets. Cows are now forced into a small area until they are fat enough to slaughter. The author directly identifies the new lifestyle for cows:
“Here, hundreds of millions of food animals that once lived on family farms and ranches are gathered together in great commissaries, where they consume as much of the mounting pile of surplus corn as they can digest, turning it to meat”(64).
The positive thing about feeding corn to cows is it has decreased the cost of meat, but in return has created many unsanitary problems. When cows would feed on grass farmers had the ability to use their manure to fertilize the crops. Now with the cows change in diet we are unable to utilize the manure, and there has become a huge surplus. Now farmers have created Waste Lagoons as an attempt to dispose of all the unwanted manure. The waste attracts insects that can transfer the diseases to humans. There is also the chance of dump overflowing into the water infecting the fish we eat and the water we drink.
Although the modifications have improved some parts of our economy it has unintentionally created a negative domino effect in nature. Only time will reveal the negative effects of these alterations. Americans eventually will have to choose what is more important to them, money or their health.