Fast Food Nation Chapter 6

1. What are some of the problems facing cattle ranchers?
Some of the problems facing cattle ranchers is that the cattle will destroy the pastures adjacent to the farms. Hank, the man that the author meet, had described the forms of ranching. The form he didn't use was "raping the land," in which they would destroy the pastures. He practiced a range management system, which he would have 35 different pastures, and the cattle would spend 10-11 days to replenish the grass after the cattle ate the grass.
2. What impact has the consolidation of the meat packing industry had on cattle ranchers?
The McDonalds meat packing industry erupts a war that would determine the social and economic structure of the west. 5 companes control 55% of the market. The Top 4 meat packing industrys slaughtered only 21% of the cattle in the 70's, but now it 84%. These meat packers own the big feeders lock, stock, and barrel.
3. What are "captive supplies" of cattle?
Captive supplies of cattle is that either maintained in company-owned feedlots or purchased in advance through forward contracts. Meatpackers can flood with their own supplies when the retailers spending on beef per dollar went to 46 cents.
4. What was the impact of the Chicken McNugget on the poultry industry?
The impact of the McNugget on the poultry industry was that chicken growers have become powerless,and trapped in debt. The workforce is incredibly poor, and 2/3 of the american market is owned by 8 different companies. In '79, Fred Turner wanted a chicken dish that didn't have a bone in it and was the size of your thumb. McDonalds corporation was the second-largest purchaser of chicken in the US.
5. What are the conditions or terms of business under which most poultry farmers operate?
The conditions for most poultry farmers is extremely poor, and the poultry is turned into a manufactured, value-added product. Chicken growers provide the land, labor, the poultry houses, and the fuel. The farmers have to borrow money to build the poultry houses. That cost about 150,000 dollars. They might earn 12,000 dollars a year.
6. How does the nutritional value of a McNugget compare wih that of a hamburger?
The nutritional value of the McNugget appeared to be healthier than the other items. The McNuggets healthbenefirs were an illusion. The McNugget has a "fatty acid profile, that is more like beef than poultry. It has 2X as much fat than a hamburger.
7. Why would small independent cattle ranchers be afraid to speak out against the practices of large meat processors?
Small independent cattle ranchers are afraid to speak out against the practices of large meat processors is that there is fewer cattlle that are sold, and the beef can't be exported. The slaughterhouses require a large volume of cattle to operate. According to the book, "your competitors are our friends, and our customers are our enemies."
8. Which type of cattle rancher is currently facing the greatest economic difficulty?
Ranching families are land-rich and money-poor. The median age of ranchers is about 55 years old. The land remains private property, but can't be turned into a place for human activities.
9. How does the suicide rate for ranchers and farmers compare with the rate for U.S. citizens in general?
Ranchers were under extreme stress from the economic forces that bankrupted independent ranchers. Ranchers suicide rates are 3X higher than the rest of the national average.