Today we face criticism for nearly every decision that is made, and with the growing number of environmentalists and vegans/vegetarians,the cattle industry is no exception. As people in our society become more and more environmentally aware, they are beginning to take shots at the food industry. The argument at hand is that of whether or not cattle farming is an ethical idea. Today I am here to tell you why the cattle industry is a key part of America’s economy, but how it can potentially be better for the environment, contrary to popular belief. One of the larger reasons most cattle farmers present to defend their business is the profit made off of beef. While beef may not be the leading number in meat sales, it is definitely a staple of many countries and their economies. In the U.S. alone, 26 billion pounds of it were consumed. This leads to the $200 billion beef industry. With nearly 1 million cattle farms in the United States, it is clear that a large number of people are invested in this business. Beef is greatly consumed in the U.S. but it is also a sizable export, pulling in over $6 billion in 2016. While the commercial aspect of this method …show more content…
According to USDA, 97 percent of all U.S. farms are family owned. There is a lot of money to be made off of beef, but this only appeals to a very small percentage of farmers. Across the world, many families are still invested in the idea of self sufficiency. People who live off of the land rely cows for both milk and meat. Along with these, cows can be used for a number of different goods. They can be used to make clothing, furniture, and sports equipment such as baseballs and gloves. One organization, Beef2Live, said that one full grown cow can produce enough skin for 12 dozen baseballs. Cattle are great sources of milk and meat but are also used for numerous goods outside of food, making them and all around diverse