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That is a very misleading claim. Cattle are raised in arid climates where there isn't enough water to grow water intensive food crops, so that the cattle can ea
by rsj_hn 5y ago
That is a very misleading claim. Cattle are raised in arid climates where there isn't enough water to grow water intensive food crops, so that the cattle can eat scrub and other vegetation inedible to humans. Basically cattle are machines for turning grass which doesn't require a lot of rainwater into protein, which is why cattle cultures arose in deserts and other dry climates while things like rice-based cultures arose in wet climates.
We need more, not less, cattle in arid climates and it is pretty irresponsible/wasteful to adopt vegetarian based diets in arid climates. But it should be grass-fed cattle.
- Tagbert 5y agoMany of those dry areas could not sustain a larger population of cattle/goats/etc. They are already having trouble with the current population. In most cases, cattle need additional water to survive in the drier areas.
- rsj_hn 5y agoHalf of the US is an arid climate which can and has historically sustained hundreds of millions of Buffalo and other cattle. The reason farmers use corn and require irrigation to concentrate herds in one place is not because there is no water but because the beef tastes better and can be raised more cheaply than with less water intensive mechanisms.