Involuntary, undeveloped monocultures don’t exist in nature.
Monocultures create a vacuum - a biological imbalance.
Put the same species-in the same place-year after year.
In the name of efficiency, maximize density.
In doing so, the natural biological balance is convulsed.
This convulsion creates biological anomalies.
These aberrations are capable of destroying their environment as well as their host.
The tools of the 20th Century - pharmaceuticals & chemicals, have allowed biological aberrations to exist within our food supply. It is entirely accurate to paraphrase this as follows:
“Livestock raised in CAFO’s are biologically compromised by pathogenic bacteria such that many would die if their medications were removed from their daily rations.”
This - we claim as human nourishment.
Concentrated Livestock / Concentrated Wastes
Producers must meet stringent regulations regarding storage and spreading. Still, most every state continues to compile a database of contaminated aquifers due to leaks or errors.
Renewable Energy/Brown Power
Some manure is indeed spread on farm fields. However, the larger the CAFO, the greater the costs due to trucking distances and acreage mandates. Alternatives are the trend.
Some manure, (poultry) is fed to cattle as a protein source.
Some manure is used to create methane energy.
Manure used in these ways may indeed provide an economic payback, yet the fact remains that the natural fertility cycle has been deprived of manure resulting in exasperated need for petro-fertility.
Overall, manure is a liability to industrial agriculture, requiring incredibly large quantities of water for flushing and transportation resulting in exorbitant use of coal and diesel.
