How the free market can make food more clean: $1 trillion in investors hope to convince popular American food chains to drop antibiotics from meat

04/25/2016 / By D. Samuelson / Comments

When it comes to GMOs, many families commit to not spending a penny on any product containing the tyrannical technology. They are also knowledgeable of so called natural ingredients made of GMO corn, soy and sugar. The increase of public knowledge and consumer demand for alternatives are forcing systemic change in the food supply. Institutional investors are also making their dollars talk. The Farm Animal Investment Risk and Return, (FAIRR) is an initiative founded by Jeremy Collier, who is also the CIO of Collier Capital. FAIRR has $1 trillion of  investment capital demanding that popular restaurant chains commit to providing meat without antibiotics in the U.S. and UK.

Healthline.com reports:

“The chains include McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Domino’s, Chili’s, Olive Garden, Burger King, Tim Hortons, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell, among others… Seeing the continuing threat of antibiotic resistance, these investors are urging major food brands to set a timeline for curbing the use of antibiotics in animals meant for the dinner table.

“In the U.K., about 45 percent of all antibiotics go to livestock. In the U.S., it’s about 80 percent, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to the latest report from the FDA, antibiotics vital to human health used for livestock increased 23 percent from 2009 to 2014. Ninety-six percent of the antibiotics used for livestock were sold for use in feed and water.”

Factory farms and CAFO operations use antibiotics routinely. It’s a global health issue.

The crowded living conditions, the filth, excrement and the disease and discomfort that can happen when cattle are force fed corn to be fattened up – and even weigh gain –  are all listed as reasons why antibiotics are necessary. You may know that cows are grass eaters and too much corn – what’s worse, is that it’s GMO corn –  can give them bloat, diarrhea, acidosis and a host of other ailments. The numbers don’t lie. If 80 percent of antibiotics in the USA are given to livestock, and that’s the meat you and your family are eating, it’s yet another reason for the tragic state of health in America.

FAIRR spells out the trouble with factory farms in their video:

It’s good news that investors are using their dollars to demand less antibiotic use in the food supply

From a FAIRR press release:

“The investors are concerned that a failure to confront irresponsible antibiotic use poses significant risks to their investments. These include the substantial risk of regulation as antibiotic overuse has increasingly become a target for stricter regulation in both the EU and US; further regulation is highly likely. There is also the reputational risk of contributing to a global threat to human health which currently kills an estimated 700,000 people per year.

 “Mara Lilley, Campaigns Officer at ShareAction and author of the report ‘The restaurant sector and antibiotic risk’ said:

 “‘There is mounting evidence that antibiotic overuse in global meat and poultry supply chains can have an impact on human resistance to these vital drugs. But shockingly, five of the ten giant global companies we looked at have no clear policy on antibiotic use in their meat supply chains. We are very pleased to see investors drawing on this research to inform a much-needed conversation… These are well-known restaurant brands producing food that millions of us consume every day, and they need to be operating responsibly.'”

We don’t have trillions, but every greenback we spend on clean, organic robust food, including protein from a local farmer, will absolutely rock the foundations of our sick industrial food system. Let the shaking begin, one bite at a time.

(Photo credit: Jeremy Collier Foundation)

Sources:

ResponsibleTechnology.org

HealthLine.com

Science.NaturalNews.com

Youtube.com

Fairr.org

FoodForensics.com

Submit a correction >>

alternatives to antibiotics, antibiotics and animal use, CAFO, changing industrial food system, Demanding restaurants stop using meat with antibiotics, Factory farms, FAIRR, Global health threat, investing in health

This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author