The Absurd Reality of 1 Hectare of Maize (corn)
Every morning I look out our bathroom window. And every year, around this time, I see the same thing: endless fields of corn. Not just in our backyard — but everywhere around us. But here’s the question: who is it for? Not for us. It’s for cows, pigs, and chickens locked away in barns and cages for life. Think back to the COVID lockdown. That’s their reality — every day.
Fact: 1 hectare of maize feeds just 4 cows per year.
Each dairy cow eats about 3,650 kg of dry maize (corn) matter per year. One hectare produces about 15,750 kg of it. That’s enough for only 4 cows. Not 40. Just four.
Now flip the script: grow food for people — like potatoes or grains — and that same hectare can feed up to 100 people for a year. That’s 25 times more efficient.
Still, we dedicate huge areas of fertile land to growing feed for animals — just to eat the animals later. It’s a long, wasteful detour. Most of the energy, protein, and land is lost in the process. Meanwhile, millions of people go hungry.
Yes, we can eat the cow. But here’s what that really gives us:
1 cow = ~260 kg of edible meat = food for 4–10 people a year
1 dairy cow = ~8,500 liters of milk = enough for 40–45 people
Sounds decent — until you consider the cost:
Hectares of land
Thousands of liters of water
Feed, fuel, emissions, suffering
We grow plants → feed them to animals → eat the animals. Why not skip the middle step and feed ourselves?
This isn’t just about agriculture anymore.
It’s about ethics. It’s about survival.
One hectare for 4 cows… or for 100 people? The answer is obvious. And long overdue.
