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Which of the following meat production methods uses more land and increases the cost to consumers?

A. Keeping cattle in feedlots
B. Reducing the use of antibiotics in feeds
C. Using feed grain
D. Open grazing

User MikeM
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Final answer:

Open grazing uses more land compared to other meat production methods, such as feedlots, which can lead to higher costs for consumers due to less efficient land use, and grass-fed beef from open grazing commands higher market prices due to perceived health benefits.

Step-by-step explanation:

Among the listed meat production methods, open grazing uses more land and therefore increases the cost to consumers. Open grazing involves raising cattle on expansive pastures, which requires significant amounts of land that might otherwise be used for other forms of agriculture or left in a natural state. This method tends to be less efficient in terms of land use compared to intensive methods such as feedlots. In feedlots, cattle are confined to a smaller area and fed a diet of inexpensive grains like corn, which allows for a more controlled and efficient production system, although it may have other environmental impacts.

Using feed grain is a common practice in feedlots and is not inherently more land-intensive than grazing. Conversely, reducing the use of antibiotics in feed is a matter of food safety and animal welfare rather than land use, although it might indirectly affect costs if meat production becomes less efficient as a result.

Grass-fed beef, produced through open grazing, is considered a premium product by some consumers due to perceived health and taste benefits, which can justify the higher price point associated with its production.

User Hamlet Hakobyan
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