The Missouri Pork Producers Association, the Poultry Federation and other advocates for agribusiness have labeled those concerned about concentrated animal feeding operation as “anti-CAFO”.
The implication is that the many, many organizations (including the Pew Commission, Johns Hopkins Medical Center and the American Public Health Association) finding fault with CAFOs are just knee-jerk opposed to non-traditional agricultural practices.
An additional charge is that environmental, humane and conservation groups are opposed to CAFOs in order to increase membership.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Pew, Johns Hopkins and the public health folks are primarily focused on diseases coming from CAFOs via air emissions. Another concern is the amount of antibiotics given to animals in CAFOs, increasing the resistance to certain bacteria. Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Areus or MRSA is usually cited as one example. Until recently, the primary antibiotic for fending off anthrax was routinely fed to chickens.
However, while environmental and conservation organizations are concerned about human health, it is the pollution of air and water that is the main focus.
There is little doubt that CAFOs pollute and are unhealthy. Study after study documents that — a quick search of “CAFOs and health” or “CAFOs and pollution” will turn up hundreds of such peer-reviewed research reports. At one time, all Class 1A CAFOs (the biggest of the big) were in violation of their permit conditions and some were under court orders to make corrections. Only agribusiness owners of the animals in CAFOs and their supporters (Farm Bureau, Missouri Pork Producers, Poultry Federation, Mid-America Dairymen, Cattlemen’s Beef Association, etc.) assert that CAFOs provide a positive benefit to the air and water, the rural economy and animal welfare.
As to increasing the number of members (and, not coincidentally, funding) of environmental, animal welfare and conservation groups, those who assert this don’t really understand the finances of not-for-profit entities. Most of the operating money comes from private (not public) grants and at present very few, maybe no foundations are funding anti-CAFO campaigns. No doubt, a few members do join due to positions on sustainable farming, but those members don’t bring in much money nor do they swell the membership rolls.
The truth is that public health organizations oppose CAFOs because of the bacteria-resistant problems and the threats to human health. Environmental and conservation organizations oppose CAFOs because of ongoing pollution problems. Family farm organizations oppose CAFOs because of the economic threats posed by industrial agribusinesses.
Finally, the Humane Society of the United States is primarily interested in animal welfare (NOT animal “rights”). It is not, it claims, humane to house thousands of hogs, chickens and dairy cows in small quarters nor is it humane to place formerly pastured cattle into feedlots where they stand in their own manure.
The nonsense coming from public relations departments at Tyson, Smithfield, Cargill and other agribusiness CAFO advocates is just that.
Ken Midkiff is a member of the Sierra Club.
Columns
November 14, 2009
Ken Midkiff, guest columnist: Absolutely nothing further from the truth
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Irrigation system upgrade begins at Eagle Creek
Will Clark will be putting in a lot of hours over the next month or so while keeping an eye over a major upgrade of the irrigation system at Eagle Creek Golf Course.
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Grizzled veterans may be best at telling tall tales
I saw Jim Barr and Larry Eggers this weekend at another swap meet.
Barr will be at our swap meet on March 17 at the Brighton Assembly of God gymnasium at Brighton Mo. Jim Barr and I have similar backgrounds. We both grew up on the Big Piney River, both of us spent most of our boyhood years fishing from wooden johnboats, and we both were doing some guiding on the river when we were just kids. -
Federal stimulus money allows Cherokee County to buy foreclosed houses
COLUMBUS, Kan. — A grant through the federal stimulus program will allow the Cherokee County Commission to buy three foreclosed houses from a county bank.
Nancy Lamb, deputy emergency management director for the county, provided information Monday about that grant and other grants on which she has been working. - Guest column, Allen Shirley: Copy a winning example Last October, I published a column in The Joplin Globe documenting three failed attempts involving the states of Maine, Massachusetts and Tennessee and their efforts to implement “Obamacare” in their states.
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Anson burlingame, guest columnist: Living within our means
“Mainly, we are going to have to live within our means and be very careful.”
That is the most resounding sound bite I have heard from a politician in a long time. If only that sentiment can grow and resonate, politically, to turn the tide of incessant and extraordinarily dangerous growth beyond our means in government. - Jim Stone, guest columnist: Paranoia shouldn’t impede freedom The afternoon of Dec. 30 brought news that eight American CIA agents and four Canadian soldiers at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Afghanistan had been killed by a suicide bomber.
- Dan Ray, guest columnist: Bills can still be terminated We still have an opportunity to terminate the health care bills that have been passed in the Senate and the House.
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Dave Woods: Global warming fires up debate
on Adams doesn’t believe in global warming.
I have to say, when it’s 3 degrees below zero outside in Joplin and we’re headed for our third week without a thaw, global warming theory is a tough concept to wrap my head around. -
Jack Kaminsky, guest columnist: Remembering a ‘classic’
Last week Editor Carol Stark asked me to write something about my dad and the Kaminsky Classic, the annual Joplin High School basketball tournament which ended on Saturday.
Even as I started writing, I began crying, and have had tears in my eyes all day. - Carol Stark: We all need someone’s hand to hold I was always a nervous little kid and while others my age went through life without a care, I held back, imagining that the worst was about to happen.
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