In a 2004 post, I noted that Brazil was already reportedly the world’s biggest exporter of chickens, orange juice, sugar, coffee and tobacco.
Add beef to the list, according to the January 2007 National Geographic. With soybeans soon to follow.
Somebody didn’t inform our state’s ranchers about losing top beef honors, I’m sure.
Two months ago, in a related post, I noted that the U.S. had become a net food importer. That’s right, the “breadbasket” is not an overflowing cornucopia.
In comments for that post, Jeff Melcher said he thought it was all “luxury foods” that we were importing. I personally don’t consider out-of-season fruit that much of a luxury. Is the imported beef in your hamburger or on your grill a luxury? The sugar on your cereal? The orange juice at your breakfast table? The chicken breast that’s the “healthy” alternative to the steak?
But, as the NG story points out, it’s coming at a huge price: the increasing deforestation of the Amazon. This has implications for global warming, world weather patterns, species diversity and more.
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