Fast Food Nation Ch 7

The IBP revolution affected the meat industry the most with its use of massive feedlots to supply their meat. This affected the meat industry the most because it made the meat more susceptible to harmful diseases, it created a system that drove many of the cattle farmers into debt, and it increased production. The meat in the feedlots became more vulnerable to diseases due to how cramped the feedlots are, and because the cows are fed large amounts of grain, which creates lots of waste from the cows. This feedlot system also drove many farmers into debt, or just ran them out of business due to the monopoly type system that the feedlot has created. A small time farmer can not compete with a feedlot that mass produces beef at a low price. These feedlots also had a large impact on the meat industry because they greatly increased production. Through this increased production IBP could lower its prices for the consumer, but at the expense of the small time farmers, the well-being of the cattle, and the quality of the meat.