Sustainability is a word that we have all heard many times before. Today the word is used in many varying capacities like government policy, farming practices, fast food commercials, grocery store websites, on the back on food packaging and in many more different instances. Being such a diverse and highly used word in a variety of situations, the next question is what does this word really mean and is this word always used correctly?

Sustainability is a word that links humans and economic systems (environmental, social, economic and political ideas) which acknowledges how humankind has created an imbalance. A solution for this imbalance involves planning for the future and rejecting the ideas and concepts which threatens the lives and well-being of future generations.¹

With this definition in mind, the next step is to consider if the above definition of sustainability is being used correctly within our contemporary society? I would guess that for many people the answer to this question would be no, but why is this? Today it seems like if any company pledges to become more sustainable within the next 5, 10 or 20 years they are all of a sudden a sustainable business … soon but the problem is they are not sustainable now. We all know what needs to be done, the more important question we need to be asking ourselves is how are we going to make these changes before the cost truly becomes too high?

Hint: A good starting point would be supporting local businesses!

Curious about how to contribute to a more sustainable world but not ready to give up juicy steak or pork tenderloin?

Now that I’ve caught you attention…The real focus is not on what you eat but where it comes from. Yes - there is more to meat processing than meets the (rib)eye. Keep reading to find out the real process from cow to beef and what you can do to minimize environmental impacts of this process.

Buy local meat.

Okay we probably all knew this was coming, but seriously purchasing meat from local farmers, not only contributes to the local economy but also reaps benefits for the environment.

Many local farms, such as TME farms, use housing that aims to be energy efficient with most of the animals outside in their natural environment for the majority of the time, using windbreaks for shelter. In contrast, many larger producers house animals inside well-lit areas, which aims to maximize exposure to light, mimicking daylight, inducing more food consumption.² Because of this, more energy is required from electricity and natural gas to power these large scale operations.³

Since locally sourced meat has a shorter transit distance, there is very minimal carbon emissions released into the atmosphere during the transportation process from the farm to the slaughterhouse.

But once the meat actually gets to the table it does not make a difference for the environment whether it is bought locally or from a grocery store right? Wrong. It is also important to evaluate what happens to the waste once the meat is consumed. Many commercial producers use a large amount of plastic and styrofoam which are not biodegradable, and while they can be recycled, the process for styrofoam is quite taxing.⁴ On the other hand, local meat products often come in paper packaging or vacuum suctioned plastic, thus minimizing products going to the landfill.

Starting to see a trend? Purchasing local meat has a plethora of environmental benefits. So get to your nearest farmers market today (or check out the tips above for more information on how to buy local)!