What College Kids Are Reading
Sometimes I come across articles about the agricultural industry that I instantly scoff at, and I wonder how anyone in the world would believe them as true. You know what I’m talking about…the articles blaming cows for pollution and meat eating as a main cause for cancer. It’s really disappointing to read these articles and know that we are losing beef customers as a result of it.
I read an article in the Virginia Tech Collegiate Times online edition that examined the health effects of eating animal products as described in “The Food Revolution” by John Robbins. According to the article, “Red meat causes 40 out of every 100 deaths from cancer. An 11,000-person, 12-year study published in the British Medical Journal concludes that there is a ‘roughly 40-percent reduction in mortality from cancer in vegetarians and fish eaters compared with (non-fish) meat eaters.”
You can read the entire story here, Column: Veganism not required for living a long, happy life. Although the article doesn’t require a life of veganism for a healthy life, it certainly frowns upon consuming milk and meat products.
Did you know that 1 in every 3 college students experiments with vegetarianism? These college students are our next soccer moms and/or health professionals. They will discourage their patients and their children from consuming meat and dairy products. Does this concern you as a beef producer? Does it sadden you as a beef eater? It’s all in balance, and putting my biases aside, I truly believe that people can enjoy a long, healthy life while consuming animal products. I just wish more people believed that too…
Related Topics: News
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:21 am
Amanda,
This is a good, solid observation. As the father of an idealistic college student and having been one myself, it is interesting to watch as they tinker with vegetarianism and veganism. I think it is really more to belong to something than for standing on principle. Silly, really, as in my experience I have often noted that “idealism often gives way to hunger.” What I mean by that is so often a mush-minded liberal student (no offense to those who may fit into that catagory…you will grow out of it:)) will be a practicing vegan or veggie by day, but then be the first one through the Burger King drive through after the bar that night.
A good sign this fall was when my daughter dragged me to a “locavore” festival and I was pleasantly pleased to see many protein and BEEF choices were available. I have to admit, for a field trip, that one was pretty cool and at least I could spot an outlet for locally raised beef. Hey, at least they weren’t screaming the evils of it, they were just focused on purchasing locally grown and raised meats and veggies. Anyway, it was a movement I could at least appreciate to some extent and the crowd consisted of a quasi-hippie-student group and a bunch of hardworking and obviously market saavy local farmers:)
We in the food production business, whether it be beef, poultry, grains, or fish, will be okay. Yes, as economic conditions tighten beef may suffer due to being a more expensive option to pork or chicken, but in the end, people have to eat. We will give up other luxuries, but we have to eat!
So for now, I will not worry about the idealistic students who may think veganism or vegetarianism is en vouge. I will focus on newer cuts, markets, and production costs and count on the checkoff to keep promoting our great product!
I enjoy your insightful perspective and please keep up the great work!
December 3rd, 2008 at 3:19 pm
At what point do we as an industry say, we need to cough up some cash and fight these people lobbying to destroy our livelyhood. We pay plenty every year to the beef checkoff. Nobody seemed to want to up the $1/ hd fee. Maybe if part of that increased fee included monies to promote and defend our way of living, instead of a general promotional fee. Food for thought.
BOYD
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:13 pm
While there is plenty of bad articles on beef. Here is a good study I think you will like from Meating Place.com
Have a great day!
Industry News - AM
Meat and cancer: an upbeat story
By Lisa M. Keefe on 12/2/2008
The Journal of the National Cancer Institute in November published online the results of a study that found no association between the consumption of fat, protein and meat consumption on the development of kidney cancer.
The study, led by Jung Eun Lee of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, analyzed data from 13 other studies seeking a connection between the incidence of kidney cancer and diet. Kidney cancer rates are rising worldwide, but the cause remains unknown.
In the recent study, researchers compared the fat, protein and meat intakes of the participants who developed kidney cancer with those who did not develop the disease. They found no association with fat, protein or meat intake after considering the influence of other known kidney cancer risk factors.
Elsewhere in the Journal, researchers for the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md. And the Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research in Tel Hashomer, Israel, addressed the role of measurement error on studies that assess the association between diet and cancer. They note that even when studies seek to account for measurement error, it still plays a role, and that caution is key when interpreting associations, or the lack of associations, between diet and disease.
December 4th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
The kinds of slanted and misinformed media you describe is disturbing to me, too. I started blogging specifically to counteract some of that.
We, as producers, need to be our own best advocates. Unfortunately, much of our advocacy is preaching to the choir through ag-focused media. When we do reach out in the broader media, we need to remember to treat the concerns and beliefs of consumers with respect. It is my hope that by focusing on the facts and speaking with the quiet assurance that I am producing a safe, healthy and necessary product in a responsible manner, I will create more understanding in the long run than the activists’ fear tactics.
December 8th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
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