Beef's Environmental Impact: Is It Really That Bad?

by Mia de Castro

August 21, 2020

Food, and its consumption, production, and transportation, are large contributors to climate change. However, different products have different effects on the environment, and some are clearly greater than others. Red meat, and beef specifically, have been attacked more recently for their colossal pejorative environmental impact. Yet, for many, the true environmental effects of beef remain unclear. Beef is not only unsustainable, but also resource-intensive.

Beef is one of the more popular protein sources today, and meat consumption as a whole continues to grow. This growth is problematic because of all the resources needed to raise and feed cattle. Beef requires 20 times more land than common plant protein sources. This required space encourages land clearing and deforestation for cattle, which, in turn, releases additional carbon dioxide, stored in plants and trees, into the atmosphere. Furthermore, clearing land for livestock also removes one of the greatest protections for future global warming. As the demand for beef grows along with the population, more land will be cleared to accommodate the larger cattle population.

Because cattle are larger animals than their competing protein sources, they require more feed and water, and in turn more land and fertilizer. Beef uses 11 times more water than other protein sources like pork, chicken, dairy and eggs. Exact numbers vary, but it takes well over one thousand gallons of water to produce 1-pound of beef. (This number includes both the amount needed for the cattle themselves and for the production of their feed.)

Cattle need more food, so inexpensive monoculture crops are often grown. The lack of crop diversity causes soil erosion which pejoratively affects soil health and nearby water’s pH. Moreover, due to the decreasing soil nutrients caused by monoculture crops, farmers compensate by overusing fertilizers. These fertilizers release greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as nitrous oxide, in addition to harming nearby bodies of water through algal blooms. (I could write an entire separate piece on the harms of monoculture crops.)

Aside from the production of beef, cattle also produce GHGs by themselves. Livestock alone are responsible for 14.5% of global GHGs and produce high amounts of methane through a process called “enteric fermentation” (aka animal burps). Although other animals also contribute their own GHGs, cattle produce the most. Cattle produce about 295 grams of methane per gram of protein, while smaller animals, like chickens, produce only about 35 grams of methane per gram of protein. (Buffaloes produce a shocking 404 grams of methane per gram of protein.) Agriculture is responsible for 36% of the US production of methane, a worrying GHG, as it is roughly 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide when first released.

These facts seem daunting and intimidating. How are we as individuals supposed to have any impact when dealing with issues that are honestly the responsibility of larger producers?

First and foremost, we can vote. We can educate ourselves about smaller bills and laws that have the potential to make a difference, and we can vote for environmentally conscious leaders in all positions of government (local, state, national).

On a smaller scale, we should be limiting our beef intake. In the US especially, meat has become almost a part of our culture. However, it is important to note that we can minimize our environmental impact by choosing alternative meats, either those that are plant-based or simply less harmful for the environment. Even by eliminating meat for one day each week, we can substantially decrease our carbon footprint. Another option is the“flexitarian” diet. which incorporates both plant-based sources of protein and some meats, usually ones from smaller animals like chicken and turkey.

Finally, even easier than changing our diets, is eliminating our meat waste. In the UK, households waste about 34,000 metric tons of beef each year. Beef, as explained above, is already an unsustainable and resource-heavy food source, and people are wasting immense amounts of energy and resources for no reason.

Overall, the beef industry poses a serious threat to climate change that is often overlooked because of the power that the meat industry holds. However, there is still hope as more sustainable innovations enter the market and as climate conscious individuals begin to take more positions of power.