<Actually, I'm not sure where you find the data, but while I was serving on
<the USDA small farm commission we received testimony that the US is the
<largest IMPORTER of beef in the world. I don't know how much of it comes
<from South America but I'm sure some does.
I was surprised to discover that the US imports (1998 #'s) 2 million head of
live cattle & 2.6 billion lb of "beef" (I didn't check for pork or chicken).
Virtually all of the live cattle come from Canada (2/3) & Mexico (1/3) though.
The "beef" mostly comes from Canada, Australia & New Zealand, but there is a
small quantity from Brazil & Argentina that could indeed be rain forest meat.
Most of that is in canned corned beef & other such processed nightmares that
sould be easy enough to avoid. Btw, Japan & the former USSR import ALOT more
than the US.
Gregg:
<Also, foreign meat can be imported into the US and still be sold with a
<USDA inspection seal. I've even seen foreign boxed beef at our "local
<country meat shop". Its sad what we have reduced agriculture to in this
<country.
I don't want to kick a nationalist hornets nest, but after NAFTA, its pretty
hard to call Canadian or Mexican products "foreign" anymore... We get your ice
cream & yoghurts & you guys get our ham. If it makes you feel better, the
companies bringing that stuff in are all American anyways like Iowa Beef
Packers, Cargil etc.
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