mad cows come home

[Guest guest]

THE MAD COWS COME HOME: (01/17/04): " The world's response to arrival of

Mad Cow in the U.S. was basically a replay of what happened earlier to

Canada when BSE was reported there in May. A total of 43 countries have now

imposed bans on U.S. beef imports, including Japan which purchased $854

million worth in 2002. Of the top four beef buyers (Japan, Mexico, South

Korea and Canada account for 92% of U.S. exports) only Canada does not have

a full ban (Canada will accept boneless beef from U.S. cattle under 30

months year old). The final economic impact on the $40 billion U.S. beef

industry won't be known for awhile. Wisconsin alone exported live animals

and meat worth $194 million last year, much of it to Japan and South Korea.

Meanwhile, those U.S. farmers who had already switched to low-input,

organic, grass-fed systems reported unprecedented demand for their BSE-free

meat. Similar booms in natural grass-fed beef prices are being reported in

Brazil and Australia.

 

The fact that Mad Cow found its way to the U.S. was almost an inevitable

consequence of corporate globalization and industrial agribusiness. "

 

http://www.infoshop.org/inews/stories.php?story=04/01/17/6341416