The meat industry should be maintained because it haves remarkable benefits in the U.S. The meat industry is causing many ecological problems, but if removed it might affect our daily life and society's well-being. This essay will cover the effects of removing it and the benefit of maintaining the meat industry. Everywhere from health, benefits to economic effects and daily life. So why is the meat industry so important?

Economy forms a big part of the world, the society we live in now. Unsurprisingly the meat industry makes a big difference in it as well. According to the NAMI (North American Meat Industry, The meat industry contributes over $850 billion to the U.S. economy only. Additionally, around 6% of the USA’s GDP is in the Meat industry and this is rapidly increasing. So according to NAMI (North American Meat Industry), the Meat industry roughly contributes 5-6% of the U.S’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product). To put this in perspective, the clothing industry in the U.S. only contributes about 2% of the GDP. So the meat industry is exponentially helping the economy's growth not only in the U.S. but globally. By providing $850 Billion only in the U.S. if it were to be removed it might affect the output of places that strictly rely on it to boost their economy, much like taking a piece out of a Jenga tower, if this crucial part is removed the whole economy might start quickly falling. So one reason that the meat industry would cause problems if minimized is that unavoidably the meat industry is generating billions in favor of the economy. So hypothetically speaking it would be quite devastating to remove it or minimize it.

Even if unexpected, the removal of the meat industry might impact our daily lives. According to NAMI (North American Meat Industry), the meat industry provides 5-6 million Jobs in the U.S. with over $250 billion in wages. Additionally, meat is a precious source of protein and calories. An average of 5.7 ounces of meat daily is recommended to keep a healthy diet by The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, not only is it healthy but it's providing 52 billion pounds of food. By providing 5-6 million jobs in the U.S. only, removing the meat industry would make millions of workers lose their job, noting that they provide big employment opportunities. Furthermore, we will also be impacted in matters of health, as I mentioned previously, meat is a main source of protein and an important part to keep a healthy diet. Over 50 billion pounds of this nutrient-rich food will be depleted if the meat industry is removed. Furthermore, access to a nutrient-rich food source will be decreased. In conclusion, the removal of the meat industry might cause issues in acquiring jobs and an enormous decrease in protein-rich food sources.

On the other hand, the meat industry does bring some negative effects on our world. According to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce a pound of meat. Additionally, a single factory of meat produces the same amount of waste as a 12,000 people city would. According to genv.org, the meat industry is responsible for over 14.5 percent of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions. Finally, over 65 percent of the Amazon's deforestation is related to cattle ranching. The production of meat has brought serious consequences to the environment. The toxic greenhouse gases it releases are speeding up climate change not only because of the gasses directly released from the factory but also the enormous amount of waste produced by it which is later burnt thereby releasing more gasses, a single factory produces more waste than 12,000 people do which is hard to acknowledge. Climate change speeding up can lead to the loss of glaciers thereby loss of freshwater. Not only are the meat industry responsible for the release of all of these gasses into the atmosphere but also other issues for example, to build them efficiently they occupy tons of farmland, using up resources like water or vegetation. As we know the meat industry is rapidly growing in size causing people to cut down trees to get the land they need to keep creating these meat factories I mentioned the meat industry is responsible for over 65% of the Amazon's deforestation. To sum it up, the negative impact the meat industry has on the earth’s health is very significant.

In conclusion, the meat industry is negatively impacting the environment. But disregarding the negative effects the meat industry still benefits the world in ways like providing job opportunities, a stable source of food, and economic benefits. Removing the meat industry would cause countless issues in the U.S. For these reasons, the meat industry is beneficial and the meat industry should remain.