Climavores: It’s not the 'how,' it’s the cow

Few foods are as tied up in American identity as beef. Think rugged cowboys driving cattle across the open range, or all the good feelings that come with summer grilling season. We love our beef. 

But meat accounts for nearly 60% of all greenhouse gasses from food production. And beef production alone makes up a quarter of that. The pro-beef camp often argues that it’s not the cow that’s the problem for the climate. It’s how the cow is raised. But as Mike and Tamar explain, a lot of it is the cow. 

In this episode, Mike and Tamar dig into how the U.S. fell so deeply in love with beef in the first place, and what the main problems are with conventional beef production in the U.S. They also look at efforts to green the beef industry and whether they’re having an impact. From grass-fed beef to local meat CSAs, they try to answer the question: are there climate-friendlier ways to eat beef?

Resources:

• Meat accounts for nearly 60% of all greenhouse gasses from food production, study finds
• Is grass-fed beef really better for the planet
• Grassland management impacts on soil carbon stocks: a new synthesis

Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might feature your question on a future episode. 

Climavores is a production of Post Script Media.

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