Responsibly Raised Beef

There seems to be much concern today about the impact that the cattle industry has on our environment, specifically regarding greenhouse gases. The greenhouse gases associated with the cattle industry include carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide (by the way, contrary to popular belief, methane from cattle comes from their belches and not their farts). Methane from cattle is eventually broken down in the atmosphere and converted back to carbon dioxide, which is used by plants in photosynthesis, which restarts the carbon cycle.

Its important to note that the carbon from methane (biogenic carbon) is different than the carbon that results from the burning of fossil fuels. The biogenic cycle occurs over a span of approximately ten years, whereas the cycle of carbon from fossil fuels takes a thousand years or more. As a result, biogenic carbon has a short-lived impact on our environment, compared with fossil fuel carbon. Still, cattle do leave a carbon footprint. However, cattle have an important role in our ecosystem because of their ability to convert materials, inedible to humans, into nutrient-rich protein.

The methane produced by cattle cannot be completely eliminated, but ranchers and farmers are working to minimize the impact on our environment. Currently, the carbon footprint of U.S. beef production is 10-50 times lower than other regions of the world and biogenic emissions from beef cattle have declined 34% since 1975. Ranchers and farmers across the U.S. continue to implement conservation efforts to improve the sustainability of the beef industry.

The video below shows what Old Station Crafts Meats is doing, in cooperation with Lenters Cattle Company, to produce quality grass-fed beef while improving the environment for Iowans.  

Source: “Beef’s Role In Greenhouse Gas Emissions.” Beef It’s What’s For Dinner.