Irecently read an article on a “global warming expert,” Lord Stern of Brentford, a professor at the London School of Economics, who offered his opinion on the best solution to “save the planet from global warming.” His solution? Stop eating meat. That’s the message being dissipated to the masses.
After much research, I found on the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) web page, an article standing up for the livestock industry. Increasingly, we have heard that cattle play a big role in the carbon gases that are being emitted into the atmosphere. But there’s a lot more to the story than most media outlets have taken the time to share. Rick McCarty, Vice President of Issue Analysis and Strategy with NCBA, wrote an article early last spring, addressing a study released by the FAO, Food and Agriculture Organization, that cited cattle as responsible for 18 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases. Mr. McCarty quoted the EPA: "The entire U.S. agriculture sector accounts for only 6.4 percent of annual U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Of this, livestock production accounts for about 2.5 percent."
The FAO report that Rick McCarty helps to explain concluded, "the intensification and perhaps industrialization of livestock production is the inevitable long-term outcome…” So essentially the FAO’s solution is to do what we here in the U.S. already are doing; we raise livestock, feed them out often in confined situations, then slaughter, process and distribute. Much of our industry is vertically integrated, for better or worse, and we have concerned producers – you – ready to do what it takes to stay viable. Now, there’s a lot we could improve. But we certainly don’t need people thinking that our industry is the main cause of some hyped-up global catastrophe, either. If you’d like to read Rick McCarty’s entire article, visit www.ozarksfn.com and click on “Extended Stories.” Stay informed, folks. It’s important, and our livelihood depends on it.
God Bless,
