OPINION:
Memorial Day weekend ushered in a great American tradition: The summer barbecuing season. But for those of us who enjoy grilling in the great outdoors, this season’s hot dogs and hamburgers may come with an extra serving of environmental guilt. Recent calls to sharply curtail global meat consumption have gained traction in recent months, with environmental activists on a mission to ward off climate change one veggie burger at a time.
Animal agriculture has been a popular scapegoat for greenhouse gas emissions since an incredible United Nations report claimed that livestock production was responsible for as much greenhouse gas emissions as transportation. Predictably, animal activists latched onto this talking point as fresh ammunition in their case against any consumption of animal products.
In the real world of science and math, livestock farming makes up roughly 5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The footprint is even lower in the United States, at just 3 to 4 percent. That may come as a shock to those familiar with the exaggerated talking points of that livestock of 14 percent.
Activists arrived at their preferred statistic by calculating the entire life cycle of meat production: Growing the feed, manufacturing pesticides, harvesting and transporting the feed, feeding the livestock, harvesting the livestock, and transporting the final meat products around the globe. They then compare all of that to tailpipe and airplane emissions without considering the full life cycle of manufacturing vehicles and aircraft or the fuel that supplies them.
It’s just one more disingenuous apples and oranges comparison ploy to appeal to those concerned about the environment, but not necessarily concerned over the “moral” calls to go vegan.
As far as livestock emissions go, our farmers are leading innovators in sustainability. Many of the United State’s largest farming operations have installed biogas recovery systems that convert the methane from animal waste into usable energy. For an idea of the scale of this energy generation, a single biogas recovery plant owned by Seaboard Foods recovers enough natural gas to power more than 5,000 homes for an entire year.
Farmers are even interested in cutting these emissions before they start. Researchers with the University of California at Davis are experimenting with adding seaweed to cattle diets to reduce the amount of methane the animals produce when they belch and fart. California’s Air Resources Board estimates that the dietary shift could help reduce emissions by 30 percent or more.
What’s more, is that a widespread shift away from animal consumption would leave less natural manure for other agricultural practices, causing an increased reliance on synthetic fertilizers. Man-made fertilizers are largely derived from petroleum manufacturing, which carries its own environmental footprint
Alternatively, properly managed herds can improve soil health and allow pastures to capture more carbon. Cattle fertilize the fields while they graze, while their dung also supports invertebrate and microbial life. The full ecosystem supports root networks that maintain topsoil integrity and prevent erosion. Thus, livestock farming improves the overall environmental outcome for crop production as well.
Responsible livestock management isn’t an anomaly, especially in the United States. We lead the world in sustainable agricultural practices, and you can rest assured that your summer barbecuing won’t help to destroy the planet.
• Richard Berman is the executive director of the American Beverage Institute.
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