Some of you may have seen the latest (February) issue of "Smithsonian" magazine. There was an article about the decline in the vulture population in India and Pakistan. Bear with me, now, because this IS of direct interest to each one of us. Vulture populations in that part of the world have gone from millions to just thousands in a decade or so. After a painstaking search for a bacterial or viral problem, the researchers learned that the birds were dying of renal failure. Another painstaking search ensued for the cause. Turns out that the area cattle men always have a supply of various pharmaceuticals at hand for the livestock. If a cow is lame or has mastitis, it gets diclofenac (Voltaren). The drug residue in cattle carcasses was the cause.

The ecological consequences are effecting man. Because the vulture numbers have dropped, wild dog numbers have exploded and India alone now sees 20,000+ human deaths annually from Rabies. Also, the rat population has exploded, creating the potential for things like bubonic plague and other ugliness.

So, my point is that we are not the only ones who stand to benefit from drug-free, chemical-free meats. The whole food chain can be affected by what we do.

I take particular note of this issue because on my recent visit I saw a new treand in Pakistan where people are setting up cattle farms to raise and "fatten" animals for human consumption. What hormons and antibiotics will be fed to those animals should be a matter of some serious consideration. Yes, there are many other more serious problems that need solving, but this is one that perhaps none are even aware of. It is an important issue.

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