Question of the Day: Is it Not a Good Time To Ban Bovine Growth Hormone?
The Ethicurian tells us that the dairy farm industry is in crisis, drowning in a lake of milk. Elanor quotes the Associated Press:
Hundreds of thousands of America’s dairy cows are bring turned into hamburgers because milk prices have dropped so low that farmers can no longer afford to feed the animals…. Dairy farmers say they have little choice but to sell off part of their herds for slaughter because they face a perfect storm of destructive economic forces.
Yet thousands of farmers are still using Posilac, a bovine growth hormone that has one major function: to increase production. Would it not be a good time to quit?
It is a big deal, they are writing books about it, Walmart bans it, and I don't doubt that a lot of farmers are taking a pass on it right now because it is another expense.
The Ethicurian notes that
Milk prices currently cover less than half of farmers’ production costs, and there’s no end to the drop in sight. In California, debt-ridden dairy farmers are committing suicide; elsewhere, they’re pouring milk down the drain, wringing their hands, and hoping for a miracle.
So perhaps it is a good time to ban the Posilac, make the milk more desirable for those who don't want to buy milk with it, and join the rest of the world that doesn't allow its use.
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