The World Bank's Aim: Beef for China

Stephen E Philion philion at hawaii.edu
Tue Dec 28 10:50:27 PST 1999


NYT December 28, 1999

The World Bank's Aim: Beef for China

By NEAL D. BARNARD

T he World Bank has proved again that the pen is mightier than the

sword. The sword -- in this case a scythe harvesting the grains

that have kept the Chinese free of the diet-related health problems

plaguing Westerners -- was defeated last week when, with the stroke

of a pen, the World Bank signed off on a $93.5 million loan to

build 130 feedlots and five processing centers for China's nascent

beef industry.

The World Health Organization would have had it differently. Its

figures show that the traditional Chinese diet, rich in rice and

vegetables, with little meat and virtually no dairy products, has

kept heart disease and myriad other Western health problems at

arm's length. An improved food distribution network has eliminated

the shortages suffered by some other Asian countries. Today, per

capita food intake is actually higher in China than in the United

States. Unfortunately, steak, fast food and cheese have started to

replace traditional rice and noodle dishes in some regions even

without the World Bank's help. Those areas have shown the highest

incidence of Western-style medical problems.

While smart Americans recognize the need to "Easternize" their own

diets with rice, soy products and more vegetarian options, World

Bank bureaucrats decided to promote a Westernization of China's

diet. Instead of supporting the use of grain as a cholesterol-free

dietary staple for people, the grain will be fed to cattle to

produce meat.

This practice promotes not just poor health, but also the

inefficient use of food. Kilo after kilo of grain proteins fed to

cattle yield only one-tenth this amount of protein in meat.

Of course, the World Bank's efforts to promote cattle farming in

China are concerned less with good health than with economic

investment. No doubt some cattle ranchers will profit, as they edge

out vegetable and rice acreage. But why is the World Bank, so

roundly criticized over for years for its self-defeating economic

development schemes, falling into the same old trap?

Neal D. Barnard is president of the Physicians Committee for

Responsible Medicine.

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