Reflecting on the Environmental Geography of My Meal
This meal is as follows:
1 Boneless Ribeye Steak from Whole Foods Market
Organic Valley Cultured Pasture Butter
Maldon Sea Salt
Spectrum Culinary Organic Sunflower Oil
The component of this meal that has the potential for the greatest environmental impact is the ribeye steak. Factory farming is one of the greatest environmental pollutants in the United States, as well as the rest of the world, and most beef is sourced from factory farming. However, the way in which this specific steak was produced mitigates any possible damage to the environment and offers solutions to both global and local problems. To begin with, it is organic. Organic farming is significantly better for the environment than “factory farming” in many ways. First and foremost are the stringent criteria used by the USDA to determine whether or not a farm qualifies as organic:
1. Their product must be “produced without the use of genetic engineering, ionizing radiation, or sewage sludge.”
2. Their farm must be “managed in a manner that conserves natural resources and biodiversity.”
3. Their animals must be “raised per the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List).”
4. Their farm must be “overseen by a USDA National Organic Program authorized
certifying agent, meeting all USDA organic regulations.”
5. Their animals must be “fed 100 percent certified organic feed, except for trace minerals and vitamins used to meet the animal’s nutritional requirements.”
6. Their animals must be “managed without antibiotics, added growth hormones, mammalian or avian byproducts, or other prohibited feed ingredients (e.g., urea, manure, or arsenic compounds).”
Due to these strict regulations, organic products are significantly better for the environment in many cases. The alternative, factory farming, is responsible for significant damage to the environment, including water and air pollution and deforestation. Factory farmed animals produce a huge amount of manure, up to as much as 1 million tons per day in the United States. This issue is greatly amplified when they are confined to an extremely small space and has a severely detrimental impact on the environment. Additionally, manure from these animals often contains undigested antibiotics, which are then disposed along with the manure, oftentimes in an open lagoon of some sort, where leaks and spills are common and can have a negative impact on biodiversity, as well as air and water quality. Forest areas are completely cleared to allow grazing space for these animals, which also has negative effects. These are just a few examples of the way in which factory farming harms the environment, but all in all it is quite clear that organic farming is a significantly better proposition, and, although the issues with factory farming all seem to be local, they are occurring simultaneously all around the globe, therefore making it a global issue.
The second and final aspect of this specific ribeye steak that I ate that was beneficial for the environment was that Whole Foods Market, and therefore that specific steak, is part of the Global Animal Partnership, which is a nonprofit organization that “seeks to promote the welfare of farmed animals by rating the welfare standards of various farmed animal products.” This is strongly tied to the environment, as better animal welfare is almost across the board associated with less negative environmental impacts. An example of this is the manure example that I gave earlier, as enclosing animals in small spaces is not just inhumane towards the animals, but it is bad for the environment as well. This steak also contributed as a solution to environmental issues on a micro-level because it was wrapped in biodegradable paper, and there was no other waste involved.
The limitation that I could see in promoting this specific food as a solution to environmental issues is twofold: firstly, not everyone eats meat, and secondly, ribeye steaks are extremely expensive. While these two factors are significant, they don’t negate any of the benefits of organic farming, which includes agricultural production and can be affordable.
1 Boneless Ribeye Steak from Whole Foods Market
Organic Valley Cultured Pasture Butter
Maldon Sea Salt
Spectrum Culinary Organic Sunflower Oil
The component of this meal that has the potential for the greatest environmental impact is the ribeye steak. Factory farming is one of the greatest environmental pollutants in the United States, as well as the rest of the world, and most beef is sourced from factory farming. However, the way in which this specific steak was produced mitigates any possible damage to the environment and offers solutions to both global and local problems. To begin with, it is organic. Organic farming is significantly better for the environment than “factory farming” in many ways. First and foremost are the stringent criteria used by the USDA to determine whether or not a farm qualifies as organic:
1. Their product must be “produced without the use of genetic engineering, ionizing radiation, or sewage sludge.”
2. Their farm must be “managed in a manner that conserves natural resources and biodiversity.”
3. Their animals must be “raised per the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List).”
4. Their farm must be “overseen by a USDA National Organic Program authorized
certifying agent, meeting all USDA organic regulations.”
5. Their animals must be “fed 100 percent certified organic feed, except for trace minerals and vitamins used to meet the animal’s nutritional requirements.”
6. Their animals must be “managed without antibiotics, added growth hormones, mammalian or avian byproducts, or other prohibited feed ingredients (e.g., urea, manure, or arsenic compounds).”
Due to these strict regulations, organic products are significantly better for the environment in many cases. The alternative, factory farming, is responsible for significant damage to the environment, including water and air pollution and deforestation. Factory farmed animals produce a huge amount of manure, up to as much as 1 million tons per day in the United States. This issue is greatly amplified when they are confined to an extremely small space and has a severely detrimental impact on the environment. Additionally, manure from these animals often contains undigested antibiotics, which are then disposed along with the manure, oftentimes in an open lagoon of some sort, where leaks and spills are common and can have a negative impact on biodiversity, as well as air and water quality. Forest areas are completely cleared to allow grazing space for these animals, which also has negative effects. These are just a few examples of the way in which factory farming harms the environment, but all in all it is quite clear that organic farming is a significantly better proposition, and, although the issues with factory farming all seem to be local, they are occurring simultaneously all around the globe, therefore making it a global issue.
The second and final aspect of this specific ribeye steak that I ate that was beneficial for the environment was that Whole Foods Market, and therefore that specific steak, is part of the Global Animal Partnership, which is a nonprofit organization that “seeks to promote the welfare of farmed animals by rating the welfare standards of various farmed animal products.” This is strongly tied to the environment, as better animal welfare is almost across the board associated with less negative environmental impacts. An example of this is the manure example that I gave earlier, as enclosing animals in small spaces is not just inhumane towards the animals, but it is bad for the environment as well. This steak also contributed as a solution to environmental issues on a micro-level because it was wrapped in biodegradable paper, and there was no other waste involved.
The limitation that I could see in promoting this specific food as a solution to environmental issues is twofold: firstly, not everyone eats meat, and secondly, ribeye steaks are extremely expensive. While these two factors are significant, they don’t negate any of the benefits of organic farming, which includes agricultural production and can be affordable.
Link to information on organic farming:
Cattle on an organic farm:
Comments
Post a Comment