Temple Grandin Digs In On The Practical Side of What Animals Want
Nathanael Johnson, Grist, July 22, 2015
You can't just say CAFO is this, everything else is this — that's just painting with too broad a brush. Things aren't that simple when you actually get out in the field and look at stuff. Compared to the bad old days, it's drastically improved, and I mean drastically. And the handling at slaughter plants has drastically improved.
New Zealand Sheep and Beef Farms Close to Being Carbon Neutral New Study Shows
Bonnie Flaws, Stuff/Farming, October 07, 2020
New Zealand sheep and beef farms are already offsetting the majority of agricultural emissions, new research from Auckland University of Technology shows. The study led by Bradley Case, a senior lecturer in the university's applied ecology department, estimates that the woody vegetation on the country's sheep and beef farms offsets between 63 per cent and 118 per cent of their on-farm agricultural emissions.
The research was funded by Beef and Lamb New Zealand and peer reviewed by chief scientist at Landcare Research, Fiona Carswell and senior ecologist at the University of Canterbury, Adam Forbes. If the mid-point in the report's range is used, on average the woody vegetation on sheep and beef farms is absorbing about 90 per cent of these emissions, meaning they are close to being carbon neutral.
Beef Production and Climate Change
Canadian Cattlemen's Association Website
The greenhouse gas footprint of the beef industry is due mainly to the production of methane (over 70%), methane is a comparatively short-lived GHG and a natural by-product of feed digestion in the intestinal tract of ruminants such as cattle and bison. It is estimated that GHG emissions could be cut by up to 20% through uptake of (currently available) mitigation strategies and another 5% could be cut from reducing food waste by half.
Between 1981 and 2011, the Canadian beef industry reduced its GHG footprint by 14% through advancements in technology and management that enabled industry to produce the same amount of beef in 2011 compared to 1981, all with 29% less breeding stock, 27% fewer slaughter cattle, and 24% less land.
Canadian grasslands, preserved through the efforts of ranchers, can store up to 200 tonnes of carbon per hectare. The cultivation of grasslands can lead to 30 - 35% loss of soil organic carbon.
Carne Carbono Neutro: O Que É E Como Deve Ser Produzida?Carbon Neutral Meat: Or What Is It How It Should Be Produced?Redação Agrishow, October 26, 2020
The Carbon Neutral Meat (CCN) is a concept brand developed exclusively by Embrapa, which is why it is a commercial brand based on the institution's scientific research. According to Embrapa, the concept of "Carbon Neutral Meat" (CCN) aims to certify the beef produced in specific integration systems, through the use of protocols that enable the certification process.
Its main objective is to ensure that the animals that gave rise to the product had their emissions of enteric methane compensated during the production process by the growth of trees in the system.
"This is a meat, whose production process makes it possible to neutralize the CO2 emissions emitted in the cattle breeding, through the integration of trees and pasture", indicates Marfrig.
It is worth mentioning that the entire development of the Carne Carbono Neutro protocol is from Embrapa. The producer needs to follow the protocol described by the institution to later be certified by a third-party certification company accredited by Embrapa.
Three Things to Know About Nature-Based Solutions for Agriculture
The Nature Conservancy Website, February 10, 2021
With more than half of Earth's habitable lands currently used for agricultural production, farmers and other food producers are positioned to be some of the most important stewards of the world's lands and water resources. Transitioning to nature-positive production practices will generate returns for these essential workers, their investors and the planet—but they can't do it alone.
In truth, as much as life on Earth depends on a nature-positive food system, the upfront costs and risks of transitioning to NbS render the option inaccessible for many food producers. Family-owned farms manage almost 75 percent of the world's agricultural lands. Marginalized farmers, many of whom are women, face particularly severe resource constraints and are often poorly positioned to overcome these barriers.
As long as economic incentives discourage a nature-positive path, it is very unlikely these individuals will take on the added costs and risks of transitioning to a new way of farming, even when the long-term financial benefits favor such a choice. Yet given that more than 80 percent of the world's farms operate on less than two hectares of land.
