Carolina Arantes -- Holy Cow

The idea of Holy Cow grew out of my curiosity about the world of Zebu – or humped cattle -- in the countryside of Brazil, but mostly in my city, Uberaba. The breeding of these luxury cattle, a species that originated in the Indian sub-continent, is a mysterious, very traditional, conservative universe. The numbers around this commerce are amazing and I was really surprised to discover that most people in Uberaba and even other parts of Brazil don’t know much about the magnitude of this business. Why is it so?  

I wanted to make images that show how this business is done, and what is this closed, mysterious world of who decides the quality of the meat we eat in the world. Brazil is leads the world in beef exportation: one in four steaks come from Brazil. The Brazilian government and the rural lobby aims to double this number in the next decade, which would increase the number of animals from 210 million to 400 million. To reach this goal, genetic breeding and cloning are a common activity, where the most important animals are kept as a genetic bank for further livestock. Laboratories and rich farmers are already planning animals to be adapted to global warming.  

This 10(X) book is about the mystery that surrounds power and control over science, the environment, food and politics.  

-- Carolina Arantes 

TO PURCHASE, click on "Purchase a Book" at the bottom of the menu to the left.