Thanks for the heads up on the article, I'm rather intrigued that a high profile magazine would write such an article.

That said, I haven't read the article yet (best if I say that upfront), but this across the board statement has my hackles up a little bit. With such a lucrative product I'm sure some ranchers cut corners, in fact I'm sure more than a few do as the market has been saturated with people trying to cash in on this trend. But that doesn't mean it isn't or can't be raised humanely. LIke any other food product buy from reputable and compassionate growers and ranchers.

I feel for the abused animals of this world, but I also hate broad generalizations that journalists often make so please forgive my off the cuff response. I promise to read the article asap. =)

Interesting, i've read many articles on the way the Kobe beef is traditionally raised, and there isn't a single thing that seems at all inhumane to me. But then again, the traditional way of raising lobe beed is extremely expensive, and probably bot how most ranchers do it.

I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts after you read the article, if you feel like posting!

i can't say that i was shocked at all by this article. capitalism corrupts food just like it corrupts everything else.

yet another reason to purchase food from local and sustainable sources...

I haven't read the article (though I tried to find it - it's unavailable online), but I can't imagine any conditions less humane than American beef raising practices. If you do the math, beef is very very inexpensive here in this country and the only way they can do that is to optimize the lifespan of a head of cattle as well as the space/food/etc. that head of cattle uses. Anyone who thinks most American cattle are roaming the prairies a la the American Pioneering days should check out a feed lot. The cattle are outside but literally sit in a pen on a pile that growns and grows then, they are moved and the "ground" is razed back and the manure packed up for sterilization then sale. It used to take several years to grow a steer to "market size"; now it takes a quantifiable number of days.

A great book to read on this, and on all food is An Omnivore's Dilemma. Especially if one thinks eating organic means eating green/sustainable.

face it, if you eat dead animals that you did not hunt, you can pretty much be assured they were enslaved tortured and then killed. Not much chance of it being a humane experience :)