Your grass-fed burger isn’t better for the planet, new study finds

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🗞️ Driving the news: A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that grass-fed beef has no significant climate advantage over feedlot beef
• Even when accounting for carbon sequestration in healthy pasturelands, grass-fed cattle produce higher emissions per kilogram of protein
• The findings challenge long-held claims that pasture-raised beef is better for the environment

🔭 The context: Grass-fed cattle live longer and emit more methane than grain-fed cattle, which gain weight faster and are slaughtered younger
• While some conservationists argue that well-managed grazing can store carbon, the study found this effect insufficient to offset emissions
• Previous research also highlights the high land use of grass-fed systems, further increasing their carbon footprint

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Cattle are a major source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, making livestock emissions a key climate issue
• The study suggests that intensive, grain-fed systems may be more climate-efficient than pasture-based alternatives
• Reducing beef consumption or shifting to alternative proteins could be necessary for lowering agriculture-related emissions

⏭️ What's next: Scientists are exploring methane-reducing feed additives, such as seaweed and Bovaer, to lower cattle emissions
• Improved grazing techniques in major beef-producing nations like Brazil and Argentina could also help mitigate environmental impacts
• However, concerns over feedlots’ pollution and animal welfare remain key challenges

💬 One quote: “Accounting for soil sequestration lowers the emissions... but it does not under any circumstances make this beef desirable in terms of carbon balance.” — Gidon Eshel, lead author and environmental studies professor at Bard College

📈 One stat: Grass-fed beef’s carbon footprint is 10 to 25% higher than grain-fed U.S. beef and 42% higher when accounting for land use changes

See here detailed sustainability performance of companies like Syngenta and Valio

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