What is Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone and why would a dairy farmer use it?

(Yeah, I was reading the back of a Ben and Jerry's container, a company whose products I don't consume, but which are popular with the folks with whom I work).

c-

It makes the cow produce more milk.

That sums it up in a nutshell. There's quite a bit of physiological effects that lead to the increased production, but that's the ultimate goal.

The funny thing is, there's still likely milk going into Ben & Jerry's that has been produced with the aid rBGH, they just don't know it.

as far as I know rBGH might fuck up the cow but does nothing to the milk

well like anything else in this country farming dairy or beef cattle has been or is being outsourced to other countries. Because of this farmers have to get more bang for their buck. They have to produce the most milk and have the beefiest cows. Land price is how they equate profit. Thats why Argentina is growing so much in the beef cattle industry. Their land is so cheap that they make the most profit. They now do genetic testing on Cattle so that they can determine which bread and which cows will produce that most meat, the best steaks etc..

You mean other than the milk having the genetically engineered hormone in it? And then there's the whole potential health effects on humans.

I'd mention that it is banned in Europe and Canada but these counties can't even keep domestic animal populations down, they just create laws willy-nilly.

How does it do that?

B & J put on the label that the FDA has no test to determine what milk comes from cows having been given the hormone or having not,... I guess that's why they have a "pledge" from their suppliers that the supplier does not do so. I guess its simply a matter of trust that B & J's supplier is telling the truth?

I sort of stopped eating ice cream two Augusts ago when the price went up some outrageous % due to, according to Baskin Robbins Company, increases in the price of milk.

c-

That's true. The naturally produced hormone and the recombinant hormone are not distinguishable. Thus, B & J are just taking their suppliers' word.

This is definitely a subject of controversy. There's a lot of hearsay and misinformation, since there's a lot of strong feelings on both sides. I think this site presents the info with as little bias as any I've come across: http://www.rbstfacts.org/index.php?id=8