Do Cattle Steal Food from People?
Hunger is not caused by a simple scarcity of food; it is a complex problem with different underlying causes in different times and places. War, political upheaval, problems of distribution and poverty can all prevent food from reaching the people who need it most. Even in countries that have a grain surplus, such as the U.S., some people do not always have access to adequate amounts of food. Beyond Beef claims that if everyone stopped eating beef, the grain now used to feed beef cattle could feed the world’s hungry people. The real situation is not so straightforward. Much of the grain that is fed to livestock is not suitable for human consumption. Farmers could use their land to produce food crops for humans instead of livestock feed. However, they will not do this unless it is profitable. Unfortunately, it is very difficult for farmers to profit from growing food for the world’s hungry. Beyond Beef points out, correctly, that cattle are relatively inefficient at converting feed into
