 |
With a population of 388 million inhabitants, the EU-15 has been consuming an average 98.5 kilograms of meat per person per year during the last five years. With the enlargement of the EU to 25 members, the market expands and production rises. The new Europe produces 22.7% of pigmeat worldwide. In 2005, 241.2 million pigs were slaughtered and 44.7 million tonnes of all kind of meat were produced in the EU-25. With an approximated population of 460 million inhabitants, the current EU wants to have a lot to say in agricultural markets. The re-structuration of the market aims to consolidate a European predominant role in the industry worldwide. The production system gets more and more industrialized. But not all are good numbers and benefits. Animals raised in feedlots accumulate Omega 6 fatty acids (the bad fats), which have been linked with cancer, diabetes, obesity, and immune disorders. An estimated 50 percent of all antibiotics in the E.U. are fed to pigs, poultry, and cattle in order to promote growth and compensate for the unsanitary conditions on factory farms, contributing to the worldwide growth of antibiotic resistant bacteria. With its high meat content, the average E.U. diet requires twice as much water per person per day as an equally nutritious vegetarian diet. A meat-rich meal made with imported ingredients also emits nine times as much carbon as a vegetarian meal made with domestic ingredients that do not have to be transported for long distances. A diet high in grain-fed meat can require two to four times more land than a vegetarian diet. Producers and governments are starting to be aware that the advantages of sustainable farming are not only environmental but also economical in the long term... Will these changes establish a New Food Order? And if it does, will this spread all over the world?.
|
