Meat Atlas

Summary

Meat Atlas (Der Fleischatlas) is an annual report, published by the Heinrich Böll Foundation and Friends of the Earth Europe, on the methods and impact of industrial animal agriculture and the meat industry.[1] Barbara Unmuessig, the foundation's president, said that the report's goal is to inform consumers about the consequences of increasingly industrialized meat production.[1]

Meat Atlas – Facts and figures about the animals we eat
Meat Atlas book cover
Original titleDer Fleischatlas
CountryGermany
LanguageEnglish and German
SubjectMeat production, intensive animal agriculture, environment
PublisherHeinrich Böll Foundation and Friends of the Earth Europe
Publication date
January 2014
Media typeOnline / print
Pages68

Synopsis edit

Overview edit

According to the report, based on figures from the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, the production of one kilogram (2 lb 3 oz) of beef requires 15,455 litres (4,083 US gal) of water, cheese 5,000 litres, rice 3,400 litres, and carrots 131 litres.[2]

Over 75 kg (165 lb) of meat is consumed in the United States per person per year, 60 kg in Germany, 38 kg in China, and under 20 kg in Africa.[1]

Pigs can reach their market weight with 10–15 percent less food if they are kept on antibiotics, but overuse increases the likelihood of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, so-called "superbugs."[2]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Damien McGuinness, "'Meat Atlas' charts a changing world of meat eaters", BBC News, 9 January 2014.
  2. ^ a b Mona Chalabi, "Meat atlas shows Latin America has become a soybean empire", The Guardian, 9 January 2014.

Further reading edit

  • Meat Atlas, Friends of the Earth, download Meat Atlas as pdf; download summary and policy demands as pdf
  • Meat Atlas, Heinrich Böll Foundation
  • Alexandra Endres, "Fleischatlas – Unser täglich Hormonfleisch", Die Zeit, 9 January 2014.
  • Shefali Sharma, "Germans speaking out against industrial meat and agriculture", Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, 9 January 2014.
  • "Fleischatlas 2014: Trog, Teller und Sonntagsbraten", Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 9 January 2014.
  • "Fleischatlas 2014: Pro und Contra Fleisch als Lebensmittel", WDR 5, 9 January 2014.
  • "Alarm over soaring world meat consumption", Deutsche Welle, 9 January 2014.