Thursday, May 24, 2007

Beef Prices Going Up

Well, the guys I overheard on a plane bemoaning the fact that ethanol production was going to raise meat prices have now been vindicated by an article in Wednesday's New York Times.

Seems like unhelpful weather in the Midwest and the amount of corn going to first generation biofuels have combined for less animal feed at a higher price. Cattle are spending less time on feedlots, and that richly marbled meat that human carnivores love and their cardiovascular systems don't is in short supply at skyrocketing prices.

This should be good news for the health of people and planet. Though of course we are still stuck with the fossil fuel inputs and soil erosion of industrial corn production for ethanol.

And I have been wondering about the insatiable demand for beef of the fast food industry. Will they be forced to turn to even more imported beef, driving yet more habitat destruction to create grazing land?

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