The Omnivore's Dilemma By Michael Pollan

Following Michael Pollan’s view in his book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, he covers the realm of concentrated animal feedlot operations (COFAs) in his extensive spiel about the overarching concept of corn in our society. He discusses his purchased steer, number 534, as he accompanies its journey through the system. In the beginning 534 enjoyed his life on a green pasture with his mother for six months, until he became strong and bulky enough to get a change of scenery. He was then transferred to a lovely place called a backgrounding pen; where 534 learned to live in a pen, eat from a trough, and to consume a new diet. Pollan’s observational study lead him to find many complications regarding COFAs and their effect on the environment. These would

Manure and chemical filled lagoons are a common component of industrial farming. A colossal amount of waste is produced from COFAs, therefore it has to go somewhere. That somewhere would be the prior mentioned lagoons which are then sprayed or leaked into the soil. Contaminated soil can affect both ground and surface water. The runoff can go in two directions; either absorbed into the ground or washed into rivers or lakes in the surrounding area. Manure care is an extremely crucial part of CAFOs, therefore when there is research showing that 20-30 water quality problems per year are found, there is then room for concern. As seen depicted in the table below, manure fabrication has been an ever growing issue. The data was collected from 2006-2007 which only means that manure numbers have risen. Ammonia is usually traced in surrounding water, which is the cause of aquatic life depletion. The EPA estimates that 53% of the population relies on groundwater for drinking water, often at much higher rates in rural areas (EPA, 2004). When concerning our drinking water it should be considered that pathogenic organisms may contaminate soil, as well as stick on to the sediments in the surrounding area; making it more tricky to clear completely. Nitrate poisoning is another large concern,

Grazing and growing feed for livestock now occupy 70% of all agricultural land and 30% of the ice-free terrestrial surface of the planet. If these current events continue, meat production is predicted to double between the turn of the 21st century and 2050. Yet already, the Earth is being overpowered by livestock that consume massive quantities of energy and resources, whose wastes contaminate waterways and farmlands, and when eaten excessively, degrade our health. Pollan makes a considerable point when discussing concentrated animal feedlot operations, “The economic logic of gathering so many animals together to feed them cheap corn in CAFOs is hard to argue with; it has made meat, which used to be a special occasion in most American homes” (pg. 67, An Omnivore's Dilemma). So, yes we have made it cheaper and easier to acquire the highly desired meat, but if we have to slaughter our cows after 14-16 months because their rumen produces gas and slime that bloat the organ and causes respiratory ailments that would inescapably lead to their death, then maybe there is a flaw in our system. Maybe, as Sir Albert Howard in a way theorized, there is no shortcut. Inevitably the consequences will catch up with us, no matter how fast we