“For millions of people threatened with malnutrition, improving access to nutrient-rich animal source foods is an easy way to improve nutritional status,” said Walker. “But meat is also high in saturated fat. In light of the high rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and some cancers in high meat-consuming countries, an important public health challenge is to provide adequate amounts of protein and essential nutrients without also causing over-consumption of saturated fat.”

Anaerobic digestion is a method of manure processing during which methane-producing bacteria break down America's drinking water, rivers and lakes are at risk from giant, corporate- owned animal factories. These Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) create one of the nation's most dangerous water pollution problems. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, hog, chicken and cattle waste has polluted 35,000 miles of rivers in 22 states and contaminated groundwater in 17 states.

Animal feeding operations (AFOs) are farms or feedlots where animals are kept and raised in confined areas for at least 45 days over a 12-month period. AFOs cluster animals, feed, manure and urine, wastewater, dead animals, and production operations on a small land area. Feed is brought to the animals rather than the animals grazing in pastures, fields, or on rangeland. There are approximately 450,000 AFOs in the United States. Common types of AFOs include dairies, cattle feedlots, and poultry farms.