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Not content with its doubtful claim to produce cheap food for our own population, the factory farming industry also argues that "hungry nations are benefiting from advances made by the poultry (家禽) industry". In fact, rather than helping the fight against malnutrition (营养不良) in "hungry nations", the spread of factory farming has, inevi tably aggravated the prohlem. Large-scale intensive meat and poultry production is a waste of food resources. This is because more protein has to be fed to animals in the form of vegetable matter than can ever be recovered in the form of meat. Much of the food value is lost in the animal’s process of digestion and cell replacement. Neither, in the case of chicken, can one eat feathers, blood, feet or head. In all, only about 44% of the live animal fits to be eaten as meat. This means one has to feed approximately 9—10 times as much food value to the animal than one can consume from the carcass. As a system for feeding the hungry, the effects can prove disastrous. At times of crisis, grain is the food of life. Nevertheless, the huge increase in poultry production throughout Asia and Africa continues. Normally British or US firms are involved. For instance, an American based multinational company has this year announced its involvement in projects in several African contries. Britain’s largest suppliers chickens, Ross Breeders, are also involved in projects all over the world. Because such trade is good for exports, western governments encourage it. In 1979, a firm in Bangladesh called Phoenix Poultry received a grant to set up a unit of 6,000 chickens and 18,000 laying hens. This almost doubled the number of pouhry kept in the country all at once. But Bangladesh lacks capital, energy and food and has large numbers of unemployed. Such chicken-raising de mands capital for building and machinery, extensive use of energy resources for automation, and involves feeding chickens with potential famine-relief protein food. At present, one of Bangladesh’s main imports is food grains, be cause the country is unable to grow enough food to feed its population. On what then can they possibly feed the chicken? 1. In this passage the author argues that . A. efficiency must be raised in the poultry industry B. raising poultry can provide more protein than growing grain C. factory farming will do more harm than good to developing countries D. hungry nations may benefit from the development of the poultry industry 2. According to the author, in factory, vegetable food . A. is easy for chickens to digest B. is insufficient for the needs of poultry |
