[hni]

> devastating local communities by getting rid of a ton of low-skilled jobs

Why would those communities be devastated? People still have to eat, hence low-skilled jobs would still be required to produce other kinds of food in the same local communities.

[gyardley]

Meatpacking remains labor intensive in a way that other forms of large-scale farming are not.

Even if there was labor parity, they're not usually done in the same places. Meatpacking is usually done near transportation hubs, and ranching is usually on land that's not suitable for agricultural purposes.