Chicken prices at U.S. grocery stores have hit record highs and should stay elevated as Tyson Foods and other companies dial back poultry production to boost margins while inflation-weary shoppers buy chicken instead of beef and pork.
Higher chicken prices should improve earnings at top producers Tyson (TSN.N) and Pilgrim's Pride (PPC.O), but will pinch consumers' pockets as they try to save money by turning away from higher-end proteins. One index shows chicken producer profit margins at their highest in a year.
U.S. consumption of chicken is expected to exceed 100 pounds per person this year for the first time ever, data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows.
Beef consumption is forecast to drop to its lowest since 2018, as prices climb due to dwindling cattle supplies. Meanwhile, consumer spending cuts have knocked pork consumption to the lowest since 2015.
Arkansas-based Tyson, which sells all three types of meat, had to deal with a glut of chicken after earning massive profits when meat prices soared during the COVID-19 pandemic.
You claim to have your "blood boiled" by people referring to history you think is irrelevant, but also use that same argument yourself? I'm not saying that every single custom on human history is perfect and needs to be maintained, but I'm not talking about something as fickle as human behavior. I'm talking about human biology. It's possible that within my lifetime I might see genetic modification lead to a humanity that can survive on different nutrition. More realistically, I hope to see the development of lab-grown meat or other protein sources. But the reality is that for most Americans, a healthy and nutritious meat-free diet is incredibly expensive. Even then, some people (including my own partner) have medical conditions that necessitate eating animal protein.
It's hilarious that you claim that I'm using fallacies similar to cults, when that's the exact roots of vegetarianism. The founders advocated for celibacy and genital mutilation. Kellogg was hugely into eugenics.
It's also hilarious that you're accusing me of having a Western-centric view. Firstly, because I was very clear that I'm talking about the US because that's the scope of the article. And funny you mention South America because Brazil is the 2nd largest producer of beef in the world behind the US. China is 3rd. Thinking Americans shove whoppers in their mouths is… incredibly strange. Whoppers haven't been relevant in decades and fast food has been on the decline in America. Is that how you imagine "the poors" behave?
"Environmental destruction" is kind of vague, but you're right that industrial agriculture is one of the larger causes of deforestation. That's bad and we need to stop doing that. That means better practices and moving away from more environmentally damaging animals. Cows are pretty terribly inefficient and should probably be reduced to luxury beef products, and dairy can probably be reduced. The article this thread is discussing is relating to Chicken prices: a much more efficient and effective option that requires far less land and water use, produces great natural fertilizer as waste, and has far fewer emissions.
Which brings me to my last point: you mention the suffering of billions of intelligent animals. I'll admit I really don't care about your moral arguments. There's billions of (allegedly) intelligent humans suffering right now. There's billions of animals experiencing suffering at the hands of other animals. To exist is to suffer and induce suffering in others. So where do we draw lines? Do the plants we eat not suffer? The fungi? Microrganisms? Some day my own flesh will be consumed by something else: I am merely borrowing this carbon for a short while. I agree that most of the industrial-scale animal production induces far more suffering than it should in the pursuit of providing more profit to shareholders, but I am under no delusion that anything I eat will not experience any sort of suffering.
You ended youre "argument" admitting tou dont give a shit about suffering or morality. I dont really know how to continue a debate with an actual psychopath… arguing with meat eaters always ends up with them saying insane stuff like they dont care about suffering or torture , the quotes around intelligent makes you sound like the kind of person who drown cats as a kid. I know literally no amount of logic or facts can change your mind because you just want to be right (you know …like a cult) it was a mistake saying anything. Proud ignorance just frustrates me
Ah I see you just want to feel morally superior to people. Conveniently ignoring other areas where you are yourself inflicting suffering to other organisms and the environment. Arbitrarily deciding which life forms you care about or dont. But you're able to go to your local vegan Cafe and get a $30 impossible burger, and that makes you better than the rest of us.