This isn't really a story about a specific eating act per se, but a story about choosing what not to eat. Recently, one of my coworkers told me about visiting an organic cattle feedlot. These are cows that aren't given any antibiotics. Unfortunately, the cows are still fed corn and live in very confined areas. Consequently, the cows had digestive problems, and a weakened immune system. My coworker said that the udders on the cows were badly infected, but the infections went untreated. It was then that my personal crusade against organic dairy products began.
Theoretically, cows that are not given antibiotics should live under more favorable conditions. According to "The Omnivore's Dilemma," antibiotics are given to the cows because the cows are sick from eating food that is incompatible with their digestive system and living in very close quarters. But when cows live under nearly the same conditions that make them sick, withholding antibiotics from them is even worse.
Digression time: it seems like the general public has a mentality that if a lot of something is bad for you, than none of it must be good for you. For example, people with eating disorders feel that if too many calories are bad, then no calories at all must somehow be better. Another example - I heard mentioned on the radio a "sodium-free" diet. This misconception is at the base of any fad diet - Atkins, fat-free, etc. So now to bring it back to my main point: once people heard that antibiotics in animal products was a bad thing, they figured that no antibiotics at all must be the best thing. Perhaps people don't take into account the factors that cause the cows to need the antibiotics in the first place. In my opinion, organic animal products should be marketed as "responsible use of antibiotics" in addition to changing the living conditions of the animals. That, in turn, would require the USDA to change its definition of organic, which is by far easier said than done.
Well, there's always hope. Until then, I'll just remain a vegetarian, buying conventional dairy and egg products. That's about all I can do.
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Hmmm....
ReplyDeleteWhich organic feed lot was it and what was the certifying agency, these are things I would like to know.
I was recently talking with a friend who is an organic farmer and who lives in an area where many of the farmers produce for Organic Valley. I was asking him how OV works as a cooperative. In the course of the conversation, he said that the cows have to have a low "bla bla bla" count (I can't remember) something to do with their resistance to infection--since, as you said, they cannot be treated with antibiotics and still sell to OV, they need to be healthy--and this level of health is maintained by the conditions in which they live, not to crowded or too near to excrement, etc. So I don't think the risk is the same with all organic dairy, as you seem to be stating. Another case where knowing where your food ACTUALLY comes from might be a comforting thing--I'd love to avoid the one you describe!
The other thing with dairy is that since it is a higher fat food (and esp. if one is vegetarian you could be consuming more of your diet in this category)--and many things like antibiotics or other drugs are stored in fats--I've always thought of dairy as one of the areas where you'd *especially* want to eat organic. Am I just making that up?...
I found it interesting that you and I have opposite tendencies in what we would buy in the category of dairy, but sort of similar intentions.....
This is interesting! It really is quite a conundrum for organic vs. non-organic. I think a lot of people do readily associate organic as healthier or better automatically, just because the word "organic" sounds so cool haha. But there really are a lot of other factors that come into play with the food's overall quality, in this case with the organic cows.
ReplyDeleteYou'd think it would be the farmer's first priority at having healthy and happy cows, but keeping them in confined spaces, along with the cows having digestive problems due to incompatible feed, is a recipe for sickness. But because giving the sick cows antibiotics "taints" the true organic label, the farmers must refuse to treat them, which anyone could agree leaves them much worse off.
In a way this kind of reminds me of people who readily refuse any kind of modern day antibiotics or treatment because they feel like they're worse for you. But the poor cows don't have a choice like we people do, and I think it's really cruel that they have to suffer just to uphold to that organic label.
Along with what Julie said though, I'm interested to know what feedlot this was, because it would seem to me that the conditions that Organic Valley have for their feedlots would be the regular standard for all organic feedlots.
I think you bring up a very good point about the misconception that if :a little is bad than none must be best", i have never thought about it like that but it makes perfect sense when analyzing modern food trends. I think making that jump is much easier to people than looking deep into the problem, whether it be diet or animal related. Making one big jump is a lot easier than taking a step back and assessing the problem or issue as a whole. Great post!
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