On August 13, White House officials announced that the federal government will purchase $170 million dollars’ worth of meat, including $100 million of pork, aiming to aid producers who are experiencing financial struggles due to the increasing cost of feed as a result of the ongoing, widespread drought. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack hopes that the purchases will “help mitigate further downward prices,” and Obama cites current “tough times” as the reasoning behind the purchase, disclosing that much of the meat will be frozen for later use. The price of corn, which is widely used as livestock feed, has risen by nearly 23 percent due to the water shortage. National Geographic suggests eating less meat and dairy as a means of water conservation due to the environmental inefficiency of livestock production.

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