Tuesday, March 17, 2009

The Real Deal on Poor Journalism

Alison Rose Levy
Posted March 16, 2009 08:51 AM (EST)

Having a Cow and Eating it Too: The Real Deal on Food Safety

When in the Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan portrayed agribusiness' unhealthy treatment of livestock animals, some readers suddenly lost their appetite for meat, going vegan overnight.

But others found "the sane food loophole:" Organic, pasture-raised meat and dairy-- the protein complement to the fruits and vegetables First Lady Michelle Obama championed last week.

Livestock farmed in organic, sustainable, and small farm settings, are healthier, and safer from the myriad infections, wounds, and diseases common in agribusiness livestock. That's why many doctors recommend eating organic or locally raised, hormone and pesticide-free meat and dairy.

In contrast, pumped full of hormones and pesticides, herded into cramped and disease-ridden factory farms, and fattened on corn and animal byproducts, (unknown in animal diets before corporations dictated the menu) factory farm animals aren't healthy--and some doctors claim that their consumption may detract from human health via antibiotic resistance, pesticide toxicity, weight gain, endocrine disruption, and other factors. Read More

It’s always disappointing to see such horrible journalism, but when you read things like this, it makes sense why so many newspapers are struggling financially. The author talks of livestock pumped full of hormones, healthier organic food vs conventionally raised, and also tries to convince readers that BSE (also known as mad cow disease to some) is being covered up in this country. All of these are untrue, as is most everything in this article. If you don’t agree with the authors take on agriculture, take the time to leave a comment on their site.

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