Our meat and dairy-oriented food system wastes global resources and preys on poor countries, encouraging them to produce export products rather than domestic staples. In addition, our food system destroys the environment, harms the health of consumers and workers in the food industry, and oppresses food animals. Meanwhile, multinational agribusiness benefits greatly. Understanding the central role of animal production in global agribusiness, and developing a strategy to transform the Western food system are key challenges for progressives in the United States today.
Agribusiness is one of the most profitable sectors of the U.S. economy today.
These analysts debunked certain key myths, including the myths that there is a global food scarcity, and that most poor countries lack the resources to feed themselves. With its vast capacity to absorb resources, the Western animal-centered system converts many poor countries into appendages which work to grow feed for livestock exports, rather than food for themselves. Beef requires vast resources, but is profitable, and in high demand in the West. The U.S. accounts for 40 percent of all world beef imports. Third World livestock production enriches a small domestic elite but does little to help feed the local population.