Most scientists, farmers and legislators can agree that meat production may have serious implications for the future of climate change. However, disagreements arise on how to fix this problem, without jeopardizing economic livelihood or the nation’s food supply.
Two major propositions outline how this industry could change in the years ahead. The first option is to focus on more sustainable and eco-friendly ways of raising animals for food. The second is to start creating fake meat in a laboratory.
Beef and the Environment
Beef is the most common meat sold and produced in the US, with chicken coming in as a close second. Both are usually produced in an industrialized fashion. However, it is important to note that beef production can look quite different from place to place, as the number of sustainable farms continues to grow. The question remains: is sustainably-produced beef any better?
For some time, there was a belief that industrially-raised cattle would have less of an environmental impact, due to its shorter life cycle. Cattle raised in this environment were being fed and slaughtered quickly, without having to graze or move about. This theory has since been disproven, and ethical concerns continue to rise.
All About Carbon
These false claims were so long-believed simply because the focus of study was on the methane produced by cattle throughout their lifetime. A better metric would have been the amount of carbon being sent into the atmosphere by each individual method.
On average, an American farm produces 706.000kg of meat per year, per animal. During that time, it will emit around 11.5 mil kg of C02-eq. When a sustainable farm produces the same amount of meat, it will emit around 1.9 mil kg C02 eq. Although it takes a longer time to produce yields, sustainable farms pollute less.
Additional Benefits
Aside from less pollution, there are other benefits to sustainable grazing as well. These are mostly in terms of soil quality and reusability. This should be taken into account, as farms are long-term projects. The full scope of benefits include:
- Restoring soil microbial diversity
- Heightening the land’s resistance to floods
- Boosting the nutrient value of the crops that are grown there
- Reducing water use due to less need for irrigation
- Reduced use of pesticides
- Reducing the runoff of pesticides into waterways
Fake Meat
Lately, fake meat has arisen as a solution to the problem of industrially-produced meat. This means that meat substitutes will be produced from plants, but made to look and taste like real meat. However, there are a few problems with this solution: namely that taste is often sacrificed. The second issue lies in production itself, which requires many more plants to be grown. The question remains how this can be done in an eco-friendly way that makes meat alternative worthwhile.
Issues of Humane Treatment
Another argument for plant-based meat is the matter of animal treatment. In the production of plant-based burgers, no animals are harmed or mistreated. If this is your primary concern, plant-based fake meat may be the best option for you.
When it comes to slaughtering animals grazed in an eco-friendly way, improvements are still being made. More slaughterhouses are turning to quick, humane methods.
Industrial Agriculture
Despite the debate between real and plant-based meats, both of these positions remain a minority. The majority of meat still comes from industrial methods of agriculture. This will continue to present problems for years to come, as infrastructure and political support will be needed to make long-lasting changes.
Conclusion
Sustainable agriculture is the way of the future, as meat production has proved harmful for both the environment and the animals we consume. To create long-lasting changes, however, the meat industry will need to seek support from both the public and the government.