Abstract
Consider the humble hamburger. From start to finish, a pound of beef represents about a gallon of gasoline used, 13 pounds of feed, and over 2,400 gallons of water. This paper focuses on problems such as environmental degradation and world hunger that are exacerbated by heightened global demand and production of meat. Research centers around reports by the Committee on World Food Security, as well as organizations like the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization. The paper utilizes three disciplines while addressing the problem: (1) the historical origins of industrial beef production, (2) the politics of beef production and how the government's compliance has created one of the most powerful global industries, and (3) the economic effects of meat production in relation to diverted food production and world hunger. This thesis explores the implications of meat production, with a specific focus on Brazil, both as an ecologically diverse area, and as a country surrounded by food insecurity and poverty in the greater region of South America. Potential policy implementations reflect meat consumption patterns in other cities and regions. Using the three disciplines, the paper attempts to provide educational, scientific, and economic validation to pursue more sustainable agricultural practices, especially those that exclude the production of meat.
Recommended Citation
Studies, Environmental and Danielich, Camille A., "Mindless Meat: An Exploration of Meat’s Role in Environmental Degradation and World Hunger" (2016). Student Theses 2015-Present. 20.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/environ_2015/20
