Regulate CAFOs, says Paula Crossfield for The Huffington Post

Great editorial in The Huffington Post on how growing awareness of the health, environmental and animal welfare abuses perpetrated by confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) is translating into a call for increased regulation.

Paula Crossfield, managing editor of Civileats.com, maintains that government subsidies of grain - used to feed and fatten livestock - allow CAFOs to continue their monstrous assault on the environment, workers and animals.  

Crossfield argues that grain subsidies should end -- and vegetable subsidies should begin.  This would gradually draw down the amount of meat consumed and increase the amount of veggies we eat.  This simple step would improve the environment, bolster human health (and reduce our nation's spiraling healthcare costs) and reduce worker and animal abuses.  She cites other CAFO-based problems, as well, such as the crazy overuse of antibiotics that jeapordizes the effectiveness of the very drugs humans rely on to fight infections.

If only stricter regulations were easier to come by.  Big Ag funnels just a small percentage of its massive profits into lobbying efforts in a fight to block change.  

Fortunately, we the people are getting smart to the many woes of CAFOs.  European group Avazz.org presented a petition demanding the UN World Health Organization in Geneva to investigate and regulate CAFOs.  The petition secured 200,000 signatures in 6 days.  People are increasingly concerned about the total amount of meat consumed in the first world, and the drastic effects of such wanton consumption.  And the recent swine flu outbreak only advances that awareness and concern.

Reductions of grain subsidies and stricter regulations for CAFOs was a clear Obama campaign promise.  We need to hold him to those promises!