3 ms·
It would be easy, if the agricultural industry was concerned about antibiotic resistance. Unfortunately, like most markets, externalities like that are hard to
by LeifCarrotson 10y ago
It would be easy, if the agricultural industry was concerned about antibiotic resistance. Unfortunately, like most markets, externalities like that are hard to price in. If Farmer Bob takes the high road and stops using so many antibiotics, he'll lose some stock and get outcompeted by Farmer Bill. If the turkey farmers band together heroically and agree to reduce their use of antibiotics, uninformed consumers will choose chicken instead. And there's not enough governmental desire for them to regulate it - and local government would be outcompeted by imported goods that use antibiotics.
- Filligree 10y agoWell, that sounds like an excellent case for tariffs.
- Brakenshire 10y agoYes, or free trade agreements that include high common standards.
- brianpgordon 10y agoIt sounds like an excellent case for legislation to outright ban the use of human-safe antibiotics on animals. Working antibiotics are among humanity's most precious and most limited natural resources. In a century they'll be gone, with devastating impact on routine medical care. We're living in the one glorious sliver of humanity's history that we have access to antibiotics, and we're squandering them to make meat a few cents/pound cheaper. It's criminally irresponsible toward future generations.
- aminorex 10y agoBut meat is flourishing. Antibiotics are meat's way of making more meat. Call it the "selfish meat" theory.