Is there something wrong with the beef and dairy products most Americans consume?
There is nothing wrong with the beef and dairy per se. Consumed in moderation, beef and milk are safe and nutritious foods. But the way the vast majority of beef and dairy cattle are raised in the United States poses big problems for the environment, human health, and animal health. For example, animals confined in feedlots are fed large amounts of corn and other grains, not their natural feed, and often develop health problems. Feedlot cattle are routinely fed antibiotics, and this practice is contributing to the development of antibiotic resistance in humans. Feedlots generate enormous quantities of manure that contribute to air and water pollution. Dairy feedlots in the San Joaquin Valley in California are a bigger source of certain air pollutants than cars.
