Stephen E Philion wrote:
> 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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--
Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University michael at ecst.csuchico.edu Chico, CA 95929 530-898-5321 fax 530-898-5901