US grass-fed beef is as carbon intensive as industrial beef and ≈10-fold more intensive than common protein-dense alternatives

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 122(12)

Published: March 17, 2025

The high resource intensity of industrial beef in high-income economies has prompted growing interest alternative, potentially lower environmental impact production pathways. Of those, grass feeding is promoted by some as one such but rigorous quantification this claim required. Motivated to bridge knowledge gap, we integrate empirical evidence with a model based on authoritative equations governing cattle performance quantify the greenhouse gas emissions producing grass-fed beef. Because geographical specificity and dependence agricultural are key, widely varied herds, from extensive operations semiarid, marginal rangelands partially industrial, intensive ones lusher, more accommodating settings. We find that per kg protein even most efficient 10 25% higher than those US 3- over 40-fold wide range plant animal alternatives. Soil sequestration enhancement rangeland grazing reduces these 280–390 180–290 CO 2eq (kg protein) −1 , still somewhat above beef’s 180 220 well nonbeef alternatives’ 70 . These differences prove robust across broad set combinations operation types, management practices, ration qualities. Consequently, maximal credit for putative enhancement, no less carbon beef, severalfold

Language: Английский

Adding pasture and grazing management to the Agro-IBIS agroecosystem simulation model

Agricultural Systems, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 226, P. 104326 - 104326

Published: March 22, 2025

Language: Английский