Talking with Friends and Clients about their Concerns with Animal Agriculture

Abstract

It is not unusual these days for popular media stories to voice concerns about how food is produced, particularly food from animals. Important societal concerns are about how cattle production systems affect the health and well-being of humans, animals, and the environment. It takes effort to stay current on the worries of society associated with cattle production, and what to tell friends and clients when asked. It is also difficult to know which sources of information on these topics are accurate and reliable. The objective of this paper is to help veterinarians and technicians become better aware of the issues being discussed by society about how cattle production systems affect the health and well-being of the cattle, the public, and the world so they can help their friends and clients become more informed. It is a paradox that in an era with information so readily available, what we read and hear is so hard to trust.