Don't Blame Canada: Mad Cow Comes from Factory Farms

Best Solution is to Eat Beef from Traditional Family Farmers

[New York, NY] - After a second confirmed case of mad cow disease in Canada, American consumers worry that opening markets to Canadian beef may risk contaminating the U.S. food supply. The best solution for families concerned about mad cow disease is to buy meat from traditional family farmers who raise cows on natural feed.

"The problem is not the border, it's the beef!" said Alice Slater, President of GRACE (Global Resource Action Center for the Environment), a group working to eliminate factory farming in favor of traditional, sustainable food production.

"Cows were never meant to eat other cows," said Slater. "For centuries, farmers raised cows safely on grass and natural feed. Now, factory farms cut corners by using chicken manure, blood, and the carcasses of other animals as filler in artificial feeds. No wonder we have to worry about things like mad cow disease. You can only bend nature so far before it snaps back," she said.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations designed to prevent the spread of mad cow disease still allow blood and animal parts to be used as cattle feed. And the regulations that do exist are not enforced aggressively, increasing the risk that potentially contaminated meat may slip through the cracks.

"I'm not a bit comfortable with the so called safe guards implemented by USDA," said Terry Spence, a Missouri farmer who raises cattle sustainably. "When USDA can't even oversee the food inspection system without regular recalls, why would consumers think that they are doing their jobs on mad cow?"

"What's for dinner? It's anyone's guess under current regulations," said Karen Hudson, an Illinois family farmer who heads Families Against Rural Messes (FARM). "USDA is in a dangerous guessing game that plays Russian roulette with our food. Natural rules are simple concepts. You can be sure that food is safe without guessing or putting your faith in a government bureaucracy."

When cattle are raised naturally, with access to pasture and proper feed, the conditions for spreading diseases like mad cow are virtually eliminated.

-- Sustainable ranchers do not feed their cattle animal parts, relying instead on natural diets free of growth hormones and excess antibiotics.

-- Sustainable farmers rarely slaughter sick or injured "downer" cows and do not normally use dairy cows for beef.

-- Most traditional, sustainable farmers use smaller, independent slaughter facilities that decrease the risk of cross-contamination with factory farmed cattle.

-- Tracing an animal's history is easier and more reliable. Sustainably-raised cows are normally tracked throughout their lives by the same farmer. They are not bought at auctions, but are born on the same premises where they graze until slaughter.

For over six years, GRACE has worked to eliminate factory farming in favor of a sustainable food production system that is healthful, humane, economically viable and ecologically sound. Last year the group launched Sustainable Table, a campaign to educate consumers on how to shop smarter, eat healthier and enjoy the abundance of fresh, nutritious meat and produce grown by local family farmers. At www.SustainableTable.org, consumers can access the Eat Well Guide, a free online directory of meat, poultry, dairy and eggs produced using sustainable agriculture. Simply enter a zip code and the Guide directs consumers to farms, stores and restaurants close to home that sell sustainable foods.

For more information on factory farming and mad cow disease, visit: www.factoryfarm.org

To speak with traditional family farmers who are experts in sustainable agriculture, contact:

Chris Cooper
Media Relations Director
212.726.9161; ccooper@gracelinks.org

GRACE (Global Resource Action Center for the Environment) is a nonprofit organization that works with research, policy and grassroots communities to raise public awareness and promote solutions to preserve the planet for future generations. Visit us at: www.gracelinks.org

215 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10016 212-726-9161 www.gracelinks.org