Industrial Corn - Essay Example

Industrial Corn Currently, corn is the most widely planted cereal in the world and seemingly, it will continue to dominate the food and industrial markets. This is hinted by the actions like those of the US Congress of subsidizing corn by the bushel, therefore, ensuring that its dominance is unchallenged. The boom in corn production is a result of the production of corn for industrial purposes instead of just producing what is enough for normal human consumption. This is also called industrial corn.

These surpluses have allowed corn to find a variety of uses, for example, making biofuel and livestock feed. Although the massive production of industrial corn has revolutionized the food industry, it has also been associated with several problems. The availability of cheap industrial corn has made it to be used as a diet for animals and this has made it possible to gather many animals and feed them on corn. This has led to the availability of cheap meat and more families can now afford meat.

Pollan (2006) explains that when fed to livestock, they fatten quickly, get more energy, and their flesh marbles well giving it a good texture and taste. It has also helped to sustain the prices of corn as the grain gets more utility as a staple food in many countries. Despite the above-mentioned benefits of industrial corn, we cannot ignore the dangers it poses to man and livestock. First, it is important to note that the cow, an animal created to forage, has now been turned into one of the biggest disposers of corn.

It is next to a man in this. This unnatural change in diet has led to increased health problems among livestock. The most serious among these is bloat. This occurs because of less roughage and more starch in a ruminant’s stomach. In serious cases, the inflated rumen presses against the animal’s lungs causing suffocation. Another animal health problem is acidosis. This occurs because corn makes the stomach acidic and yet the stomach environment is normally neutral in PH. The use of grains has also encouraged the use of antibiotics on animals and this is a health risk both for the animals and mankind.

Even though we may celebrate the increased availability and affordability of meat, there are problems associated with the use of cheap meat. According to Pollan (2006), cheap corn-fed meat contains less omega-3 fatty acids and more saturated fat than grass-fed meat. As a result, more problems related to the eating of feed are associated with corn-fed beef. Increased use of corn feeding to livestock through the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) has increased water and air pollution and the production of toxic wastes.

Industrial corn takes up land for other crops and encourages the urbanization of animals. This takes up land that could have been set aside for the expansion of towns. From the given arguments, it is justifiable to say that there are more and stronger negative impacts of industrial corn than its benefits. Most of the benefits include increased availability of food, especially meat. However, the availability of cheap meat will only serve to encourage the eating of meat beyond the recommended amounts and this poses more health risks.

It is also true to say that most of the disadvantages of industrial corn touch on the health of man and animals. Life is precious and if something threatens the existence of an organism, then it nullifies all its benefits. We should therefore advocate programs that encourage the plantation to less corn and seek alternative sources of proteins like plant protein, eggs, chicken meat, fish, and eggs.