Be green and healthy: eat less meat?
How can food producers become more sustainable? Use less meat in their products.
Rita Jane Gabbett writes today on Meatingplace.com, a meat industry site, about a talk given by Cheryl Baldwin of Green Seal at a recent meeting of the Institute for Food Technologists.
She told Meatingplace that meat producers should better understand “the production methods used to feed and raise animals, making sure they are treated humanely and looking for ways to reduce the carbon footprint of processing methods.” She also said that “grass-fed animals created a lower carbon footprint than those that were grain fed.”
One can only imagine the reaction of meat producers to her comments.
Meatingplace noted:
Earlier this year, however, a study by the University of New South Wales published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology indicated beef produced in feedlots had a slightly smaller carbon footprint than meat raised exclusively on pastures. (See Feedlot beef could be “greener” than grass-fed: study on Meatingplace, Feb. 8, 2010.)
More recently, Washington State University scientists concluded that improvements in U.S. beef industry productivity have reduced the environmental impact of beef production over the past decade. (See Better beef industry practices have reduced carbon footprint on Meatingplace July 15, 2010.
This follows soon after the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee report’s advice to:
Shift food intake patterns to a more plant-based diet that emphasizes vegetables, cooked dry beans and peas, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. In addition, increase the intake of seafood and fat-free and low-fat milk and milk products and consume only moderate amounts of lean meats, poultry, and eggs.
To the meat industry, advice about health and sustainability must come as a serious challenge. Keep an eye on the “eat less meat” theme. My guess is that we will be hearing a lot more about it.
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In regards to the UNSW study, critics of feedlots saying this study neglects to factor in the positive impact that grazing lands’ vegetation has on the environment. Another study, this by the Queensland Government, apparently found grazing lands to be carbon neutral and moving towards carbon sink. This means that raising cattle on land covered in grasses could actually offset their gas emissions.
The potential for grassland production having a helpful position in the efforts to reduce greenhouse gasses was recently supported by the United Nations in a report from the FAO.
Furthermore, it might be easiest to quote Christopher Weber of Carnegie Mellon University: “To some extent, all of this bickering about carbon footprint is missing the forest for the trees… In terms of air pollution, water pollution and odor, concentrated feedlots are a disaster. In terms of other environmental impact, there is no question that grass fed is better. My problem is that people really play on the carbon footprint angle, when it’s really not clear. “
Hear, hear Michael…besides which, meat is a necessary part of nutrition and I’m not prepared to sacrifice that, I’ll eat less of it – especially if it’s grass-fed since it’s more likely to be more nutritious per kg anyway (better balance of omega 3 vs 6′s etc) – but I alter other, less important things, in my life to reduce my carbon footprint – public transport, hardly any long distance travel, op shopping, composting, growing my own vegies…CAFO’s are bad and should be abolished and be replaced by pasture raised, but I’d single out the indulgence of long distance air travel (and air travel full stop for that matter) before I single out the ‘indulgence’ of meat….
Thanks for your input Michael. Illuminating as usual.
Amanda, you may enjoy eating meat, and I don’t think anyone is seriously going to try to stop you from eating it, BUT it is not a “necessary part of nutrition”. Vegetarian (especially those that include some animal products such as milk, cheese, eggs) easily provide complete nutrition. Even vegan diets, with B12 supplementation or occasional consumption of cheese or other animal products can be perfectly adequate nutritionally. Please read Marion’s coments on this subject, elsewhere in this blog – look for the topic in the cloud on the right and click.
In case Michael is following up on comments here, I would like to track down the reports that he cited above. Are they on-line anywhere?
Pasture dynamics are quite interesting and complicated, and usually left out of life cycle analyses like the one touted by Meatingplace (And possibly for a somewhat sound reason: we probably don’t fully understand the carbon cycling and storage). In central California, the Marin Carbon Project (www.marincarbonproject.org) is looking at how pasture can be used as a carbon sink. They are running experiments on rangeland with several types of land treatment in addition to grazing, including compost addition and subsoiling.
Beyond carbon sequestration, grazing livestock can revitalize landscape, if done correctly. And that’s a big IF, as it is easy to ruin a landscape with grazing animals. A segment on the radio program Living on Earth looked at work by the Centre for Holistic Management in Africa, which is running intensive livestock grazing projects. It turns out that by properly managing the animals’ grazing, the land shows dramatic improvements in lushness and there is also the unexpected benefit of revitalized waterways, thus significantly reducing the amount of time that people (mostly women and girls) spend collecting water. Transcript, photos and audio download available here: http://www.loe.org/shows/shows.htm?programID=10-P13-00023#feature7
No —->> RED flags!! *** <<<>>”The study, commissioned by Meat and Livestock Australia…”
and
>>>The study also compared data from Australian beef and sheep meat operations to studies conducted in Europe, the UK, the US, Africa and Japan, and found Australian operations compared favorably.
Prior to having read the industry funded study in Environmental Science and Technology, I would have to guess that they missed a few things: one being the obvious—ALL meat production produces a HUGE carbon footprint. Reducing meat consumption is an important way, for people to be more eco-conscious residents of our environment. I’m waiting for the legume industry to “commission” a study comparing animal factory carbon footprints with fields of legumes.
But besides that huge redirect of the focus on meat vs. meat, I would have to guess that the manufacture of the petroleum based fertilizer and pesticides, along with any tractor use to clear, till, plant, harvest the corn and soy plants as well as any tractor or crop dusting plane use–I bet all those burned diesel and high octane gasoline were not calculated in what it takes to feed each of those cows. Water use/pumps for the corn and soy would need to be factored in.
The energy it takes to turn an animal into a food is extremely extremely inefficient use and according to the United Nations report on climate change, if people are interested in cutting back their overall energy use and lowering their carbon foot print, scaling back how much meat we eat as individuals, as a nation, will make a significant difference.
Good thoughts Anthro.
We would be doing something great if communities picked up on the Meatless Mondays idea that is working in so many other cities. Do restaurants fight this? NO! This can be beneficial to all! Some people might not be sure of what to cook for a meatless meal, great. The restaurant brings in more guests one day of the week (like on a Monday, or Meatless Thursday) and have a Meatless special. Since plant-based entrees can be much cheaper, the bill might be noticeably less for a family, which is also important as this country is seeing itself out of the Great Recession.
There will be a learning curve for people preparing foods at home but it can be a great way to get the kids to be in the kitchen a little longer–to help with the meal.
Can you do it? Take the Meatless Monday challenge for the next month. See how it works for you!
@ Amanda Nice ideas! Composting can be so easy and is a great way to redirect nutrients that would go to the landfill (the food won’t break down while it’s there, surrounded by plastic) and put them into a pile! I have a simple wire screen ~5′ diameter and food scraps break down rather quickly! No smell. No animals. It’s great! Check with your local Cooperative Extension for more information!
cattle are meant to eat grass, not corn (and other waste).
so its a no brainer that its better for the earth and the animals and us if cattle are grass fed. i dont even know why anyone would argue otherwise….
also, isnt eating meat (directly related to industrial ag and CAFOs and so forth) a larger portion of greenhouse gases and carbon emissions than driving and other activities?
no offense to anyone in here, but it always amazes me how defensive meat eaters get about eating meat. it seems to me that there is a deep seeded subconscious and karmic guilt going on…..
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