It is important to consumers that beef is sustainable, and most critics feel the same way.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, livestock contributes 14.5% of manmade greenhouse gas emissions globally, with beef accounting for the largest share. Additionally, the livestock industry accounted for the second-largest share of methane emissions in the U.S. in 2019, according to the EPA. Since 2000, global methane emissions from cattle have increased by over 10%, according to Statista.

“We all worry about what this future looks like, and we all feel extreme pressure to mitigate these impacts in a very real way,” said Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, professor of animal science at Colorado State University and a researcher of sustainable cattle herding methods.

While consumer attitudes towards beef may be shifting over time due to its large environmental footprint, Gro Intelligence reports that sales have risen 12% above the 20-year average in the month of June. Plant-based meat alternatives, whose production emits anywhere from 30% to 90% less greenhouse gas than animal-based meat, have also put pressure on the beef industry to address sustainability.

As a result, beef suppliers have started to establish objectives to lower emissions by utilizing strategies like regenerative farming and methane-reducing feed. Critics contend that meat producers are neglecting potential effective, albeit pricey, solutions to the problem. 

 

This article was originally published here