Should Beef Production Be Outlawed?

Disclaimer: Let me start by stating that I don't believe that beef production should be outlawed. I am a devout carnivore. However I was assigned this essay as an exercise in depending points of view with which I disagree.

In today's America, beef is very popular. It is widely available and cheap. But there are several negatives associated with the raising and slaughter of cattle for human consumption. This raises the question of whether beef production should remain legal.

An obvious reason to outlaw beef production is the fact of its cruelty. Many people would say that the act of raising cattle just to slaughter for sustenance is cruel in and of itself. And what is the quality of life for factory-farmed cattle? According to the ASPCA, it's quite poor: "They are branded, castrated and may have their horns removed without painkillers. Sometime between the ages of six months and one year, most beef cattle are sent to live their last few months in crowded feedlots with hundreds or thousands of others. Without pasture and often without shelter, the cattle must stand in mud, ice, and their own waste.(ref)" Is the moral cost justified?

Meat production negatively affects the environment in many ways. For example, estimates are that up to 92% of the world's fresh water supply is used for farming, and a third of that is animal related. Production of meat is much more water-intensive than production of fruits and vegetables. In addition, a third of the world's grain is used for feeding animals. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), “with grazing land and cropland dedicated to the production of feed representing almost 80% of all agricultural land. Feed crops are grown in one-third of total cropland, while the total land area occupied by pasture is equivalent to 26% of the ice-free terrestrial surface.” Also, according to the FAO, pollution from livestock farming has serious implications for water quality. Estimates vary, but a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to livestock farming and meat production (ref). Beef in particular is hard on the environment. Compared to other animals, cattle are inefficient at converting their food to our food. As a result, beef has a bigger environmental footprint than the equivalent meat from other livestock (ref).

It is widely thought that consumption of red meat -- especially beef -- is bad for the heart, and is suspected of being carcinogenic (ref).

There have long been plant-based meat substitutes, and they have been improving in quality and availability. Some high-profile fast food restaurants have been experimenting with including them as menu options. Recently there have been new lab produced substitutes created by cultivating animal cells (ref). With the introduction and improvements in beef substitutes, there is less and less reason to produce and consume meat.

With so many problems associated with beef production and recent advancements in beef substitutes and artificially grown beef, the continued use of cattle for human consumption is not justified.