Bottleneck

The Very Unstable Lunatic's cavalier 'opening' of meat processing facilities was, clearly, aimed at corporate fatcats' paychecks. More poorly paid, and poorly educated folks die? What, me worry? But there is yet another side effect (or, upstream consequence). It turns out that a huge proportion of American farm product doesn't go into our bellies, but into the original owners of that steak or drumstick.

In the U.S., 36 percent of corn crops being used to feed livestock. Soy is also commonly used in feed, with 75 percent of global soybean crops being fed to livestock. To support these crops, one-third of arable land being used for feed production globally, using vast amounts of land and water resources.

(And, so far as corn goes, here's the tally, and the American dinner table doesn't even get listed.)

Of course, that's just one report among many (happened to come up at the top of my search results), and focuses on issues not related to Covid-19. But read it anyway for the education. In the context of today's meat processing issue, not only are livestock being jettisoned before conversion to human foodstuffs, but, in due time (this is planting time, after all) this will affect farmers. Fewer animals grown for meat, less grains needed to feed same. What's that snake that circles around to eat its tail? The ouroboros.