Understanding the Meatrix: How is Big Meat managing to shake off higher corn prices? By establishing classic "Third World" labor and environmental conditions right here in America, explains Tom Philpott in an even-better-than-usual Victual Reality. (Grist)
Not in anyone’s back yard: A Minnesota resident protests eloquently against "Pigs R Us, LLC" hog confinement barns proposed for the northeast portion of unspoiled Otter Tail County. Gruesome fact: "Hogs in a confinement barn have such underdeveloped hearts and lungs from the lack of exercise, that several die each time they load the hogs. They can’t climb the loading chute because of their condition." (The Fergus Falls Daily Journal)
Vox Pope-uli: Sierra Club executive director Carl Pope writes about another attempt in Congress to let livestock producers escape anti-pollution laws. This time, the meat industry is trying to be exempted from a "polluter pays" law ( a.k.a. Superfund), a program designed for big pollution problems, like huge lagoons of pig manure. One of industry’s arguments is that the current law threatens small farms that spread manure on their fields — which is bullshit, as we’ve noted before. We’ll be watching for this as the Senate Ag Committee works on the Food and Farm Bill. (Topeka Capital-Journal)
It’s the community, stupid: Those who say eating local is not always the best choice for the planet are forgetting one very important part of the equation, says David Morris in this op-ed, which is slow to get going but satisfying thoughtful. Good comments, too. (AlterNet)
Food and Farm Bill battle heats up: Want to know how the Farm Bill sausage is gonna get made? Steve Kopperud offers valuable insight into the roster of players: "In the Senate, every dog’s a big dog — committee chair or not — and some of the biggest dogs from the ag sector of America are getting set to square off over everything from regional priorities to how federal dollars get to be spent." (Brownfield Network)
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