Sunday Roast is Toast
Monday, 27th September 2010
Run anything on the fuel it is not designed for, and the likelihood is that there will be side effects. Just as converting a car to run on chip fat runs the risk of clogging filters, feeding cattle anything but the herbivore diet a ruminant thrives on runs up problems. Big ones as it turns out. The rising cost of grain has farmers in a panic. Farming economists say the crisis is so great, the world will not be able to feed itself if more and more agricultural land is given up to grow cereal crops to feed beef cattle. At this rate, the price of a Sunday roast is set to rise beyond affordability.
A grass-silage diet is the only way to feed cattle. And yes, it means slower growth and therefore beef that costs more. But it makes use of umpteen acres of hill country currently becoming neglected and it frees up arable land to grow crops for humans to eat – good idea, that. What is more, grain diets produce unhealthy fats in cattle, now linked to the obesity crisis in the West. The price for meat needs to be higher. Fewer, more flavoursome and healthy Sunday roasts? It is just how it should be.
Author: Rose Prince
comments
Comment by Almighty Alan on 28th September 2010
Quality over Quantity and it would mean the Sunday Roast would become more of a Special occasion for starter
Comment by Madeleine C. on 1st October 2010
Perhaps I didn’t understand whether the tone of your piece was more whimsical or revolutionary, but are you suggesting we petition the government to tax meat products? I think this is perhaps a very good idea, given the inherent costs accrued elsewhere. However, this issue is further clouded when we consider the growing risk of deforestation to the world’s oxygen supply, in which cattle farming plays a large part. Surely this would not change even if a grass-only scheme were introduced?
Comment by Nick on 5th October 2010 http://twitter.com/NickdeFig
I didn’t realise they fed beef cattle on anything other than grass/silage. A grain diet sounds like a silly idea in the first place so if this changes it back that’s a good thing at least. As to the impact on roast dinners, I tend to only have them at larger family do’s which were more of a special occasion anyway, so I don’t see this news affecting me too much. Gotta love a good roast though, and if it’s quality or regularity then quality wins every time.
