An interesting look at
In Meat We Trust where historian Maureen Ogle Argues [that] We Got The Meat Industry We Asked For.
Almost any discussion can eventually lead to a 'follow the money' scenario with the eventual question of where the consumer fits in to the battle of low prices vs [fill-in-the-blank]. This one is more interesting than most. I may have to search for the book.
Quote:
"Ultimately, Ogle finds there is a fundamental disconnect in the way many of us view meat. We want it; we want it cheaply; we want it made in a place where we don't have to deal with the sights and sounds of slaughtering animals; and we don't want it to come from factory farms. Something, Ogle says, has to give."