U.S. Rep. Alma Adams’s bill to help farmers convert to more climate-friendly crops will likely help patients too.

By Dr. Joseph Barrocas

NC Newsline

While scientists race to learn what a seriously ill California teen’s case of bird flu may mean for future outbreaks, my fellow physicians and I remain vigilant for symptoms of bird flu. It is particularly important to watch patients closely for symptoms here in North Carolina, a top U.S. chicken meat and egg producer. In addition to human cases of bird flu, we have dealt with decimated poultry populations and infected dairy cows.

I support public health officials who are trying to increase testing for H5N1 and applaud my fellow health care professionals treating patients with bird flu. In addition to keeping this crisis at bay, now is the time to take a hard look at the food production system that puts farm workers in close contact with sick cows and birds, the Standard American Diet that demands it, and the health ramifications of both.

From a doctor’s perspective, shifting food production away from intensive animal agriculture can benefit public health. Facilities with large numbers of animals in a small amount of space are a concern for public health because they provide ideal conditions for viruses to spread, evolve and possibly acquire the ability to more easily infect people. Intensive animal agriculture was implicated when influenza viruses H1N1, H5N1, and N7N9 jumped from animals to people, according to research published in Frontiers in Microbiology.

The life of a contract chicken grower can be challenging, and some of them are repurposing their chicken houses to grow crops. I was not surprised to learn that North Carolina poultry farmers Dale and Paula Boles switched from chickens, converted their 500-foot-long poultry barn to a greenhouse, and now grow organic vegetables. They are not alone. In southwest Arkansas, farmers Jennifer and Rodney Barrett are transitioning from raising poultry and cattle to growing mushrooms.

These farm transitions aren’t easy. The government should provide financial and technical support. I was pleased to learn that my own Congresswoman Alma Adams recently introduced legislation to do just that — help farmers convert to more climate-friendly uses. All U.S. representatives should support this effort.

Due to economic hardship and other factors, many dairy farmers are also choosing to exit the business. Former dairy farmer Denise O’Brien sold the cows when milk prices were low and transitioned to growing crops including strawberries, raspberries and apple trees. A Wisconsin dairy farmer, Paul Jereczek, is planting hazelnut trees because he’d like his children to stay on the land and he doesn’t see a future in dairy farming.

Shifting away from animal agriculture helps our environment and improves worker safety. Large-scale livestock operations contribute to climate change by producing methane, a powerful planet-warming gas. The World Health Organization says, “Reducing livestock herds would reduce emissions of methane, which is the second largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide.” Methane is an efficient heat-trapping gas, but it’s relatively short-lived, so reducing emissions now could help slow global warming.

I have found for myself and my patients that shifting away from a diet focused on animal products improves health, and the scientific literature tells the same story. A plant-based diet of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole grains can help maintain healthy weight, lower blood pressure and improve heart health.

A recent study with 22 pairs of identical twins found that a plant-based diet improves heart health in as little as eight weeks. The twins following a plant-based diet experienced lower LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol, and they lost more weight than the omnivore twins.

Government grants and assistance like the legislation that U.S. Representative Adams has introduced should be available if dairy or poultry farmers want to switch to growing crops and planting orchards, which will also benefit the environment and my patients.

Joseph Barrocas, MD, of Davidson has been in practice as a pediatrician and general internist for 29 years. He is a member of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a public health advocacy nonprofit with more than 17,000 doctor members.