[CuriousCosmic]

I think one of the bigger questions than "why does the US raise so much livestock" is "why doesn't the US raise bison & buffalo instead of cows"?

I'd imagine a lot of the US' livestock needs could be handled by just re-wilding pasture lands with native plant and animal species (including bison). And just as a guess I'd imagine it'd be more sustainable than trying to raise cows.