Eat grass-fed beef, help the planet? Research says not so simple<img src='https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=6035286&cv=4.4.0&cj=1'>SubscribeSign inView Market DashboardHomeLatest NewsMarketsMarket NewsMark to MarketCommoditiesLive BlogsCryptocurrencyIPOStock MarketsMarket DataStock PagesIndex pagesBullionGold SilverFuelPetrolDieselNewsIndiaWorldWSJEconomistUS NewsTrendsPremium e-paperGlobal Partners WSJEconomistBarron'sMint SpecialsMint ExplainersMark to MarketLong StoryMint PrimerSnapviewSectionsCompaniesTechnologyMarketsMoneyMutual FundsInsuranceAutoIndustryPersonal FinanceCompaniesStart-upsCompany ResultsPeopleMoneyPersonal FinanceInsurance Ask Mint MoneyMutual FundsMyMintIPL Schedule 2025Personal LoanTechnologyGadgetsTech ReviewsApp News5G TechFoldable SmartphonesMint HindiMoreElection 2025OpinionAuto NewsSportsOrange Cap in IPLPurple Cap in IPLEducationTools IFSC Code FinderIncome Tax CalculatorMint LoungeMintGenie Multi-MediaVideosWebStories Photo GalleryPodcastsExplore MintAbout usPrint subscriptionMint AuthorsSubscriber terms of usePrivacy PolicyTerms of UseDisclaimerMint codeCookie PolicyCode of ethicsSitemapContact UsHindustan TimesLive HindustanHealthshotsCredit Card Hello UserSign inSign OutMy AccountSubscribeMy WatchlistNewslettersNotificationsMy ReadsFor YouView Less -View More +Data InsightsMarket DashboardBullionGoldSilverFuelPetrolDieselCommoditiesGoldGoldMAluminumMenthaoilSilverSilverMICGoldPetalNatural GasCopperZincSilverMCrudeOilGoldGinueaLeadCryptoCurrenciesView Less -View More +Top SectionsToday's NewsIndia NewsWorld NewsUS News TodayBudget 2025EconomyMoney NewsPersonal FinanceQ&AOpinionCompany Business NewsIPO NewsStart-upsCompany ResultsTop Company LeaderStock Market NewsStock MarketsCommodity NewsMark To MarketIPO NewsLive Blogpersonal loanpersonal loan emi calculatorPersonal Loan Interest RatePersonal Loan EligibilityBusiness LoanInstant LoanElection Results 2025Assembly Elections 2025Indian Industry AnalysisBanking NewsInfotech NewsInfrastructureAgricultureManufacturingEnergy NewsRetail NewsAuto NewsSports NewsOpinionViewsColumnsTechnology NewsGadgetsTech ReviewsApp NewsPolitics NewsLoungeBusiness of LifeSports NewsIPL 2025 IPL 2025 Points Table IPL 2025 Orange CapIPL 2025 Purple CapIPL Match Today | IPL 2025 ScheduleEducation News TodayView Less -View More +Premium Offeringse-paperWSJEconomistBarron'sMyMintMint PremiumView Less -View More +Tools and CalculatorsIFSC Code FinderIncome Tax CalculatorSIP CalculatorEMI CalculatorHome Loan EMI CalculatorCar Loan EMINPS CalculatorView Less -View More +MultiMedia CollectionsVideosWebStoriesPhoto GalleryPodcastsView Less -View More +More From MintMint GenieMint LoungeMint HindiView Less -Explore MintAbout UsPrint SubscriptionMint AuthorsTerms of UseDisclaimerMint CodeCode of ethicsCookie PolicyPrivacy PolicySubscriber - Terms of UseSITEMAPContact UsMint AppsView Less -View More +Copyright © HT Digital Streams Limited All Rights Reserved.Eat grass-fed beef, help the planet? Research says not so simpleEat grass-fed beef, help the planet? Research says not so simpleAPPublished18 Mar 2025, 12:33 AM ISTEat grass-fed beef, help the planet? Research says not so simple For cattle fattened in fields instead of feedlots, the grass may be greener, but the carbon emissions are not. A study out Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that even in the most optimistic scenarios, grass-fed beef produces no less planet-warming carbon emissions than industrial beef. The finding calls into question the frequent promotion of grass-fed beef as a more environmentally friendly option. Still, other scientists say grass-fed beef wins out on other factors like animal welfare or local environmental pollution, complicating the choice for conscientious consumers. “I think that there is a large portion of the population who really do wish their purchasing decisions will reflect their values,” said Gidon Eshel, a research professor of environmental physics at Bard College and one of the study's authors. “But they are being misled, essentially, by the wrong information.” When it comes to food, beef contributes by far the most emissions fueling climate change and is one of the most resource- and land-intensive to produce. Yet demand for beef around the world is only expected to grow. And carefully weighing the benefits of grass-fed beef matters because in most parts of the world where beef production is expanding, such as South America, it’s being done by deforesting land that would otherwise store carbon, said Richard Waite of the World Resources Institute. Experts say this study's finding makes sense because it's less efficient to produce grass-fed cattle than their industrial counterparts. Animals that are fattened up in fields instead of feedlots grow more slowly and don't get as big, so it takes more of them to produce the same amount of meat. The researchers used a numerical model of the emissions produced across the process of raising beef, then simulated many herds of industrial and grass-fed cattle. It compared differences in how much food they would eat, how much methane and carbon dioxide they would emit and how much meat they would produce. Those differences mirror real-life scenarios; cattle in arid New Mexico and lush northern Michigan have different inputs and outputs. Eshel and his team also analyzed previous studies that examined how much cattle grazing promotes carbon storage, but found that even in the best-case scenarios, the amount of carbon that grasses could sequester didn’t make up for the emissions of the cattle. Randy Jackson, a professor of grassland ecology at University of Wisconsin-Madison who was not involved in the study, said he has found similar results in his own research showing that grass-fed beef has higher emissions assuming the same demand. In fact, Eshel's team cited his work. But he worries that the study is too focused on minimizing emissions “without concern for the environmental impacts beyond GHG load to the atmosphere,” like biodiversity and soil and water quality, he wrote in an email. The American Grassfed Association, a nonprofit membership group for producers of grass-fed livestock, did not immediately provide a comment on the study. Jennifer Schmitt, who studies the sustainability of U.S. agricultural supply chains at the University of Minnesota and also wasn't involved in the study, said she thinks the paper “helps us get a little closer to answering the question of maybe how much beef should we have on the landscape versus plant proteins,” she said. Schmitt said maybe if beef was scaled back on a large enough scale and if farmers could free up more cropland for other foods that humans eat, the localized environmental benefits of grass-fed cattle could make up for the fact that they come with higher emissions. It would be harder to convince Eshel, however. He thinks climate change is “second to none” when it comes to global problems and should be prioritized as such. “I have a hard time imagining, even, a situation in which it will prove environmentally, genuinely wise, genuinely beneficial, to raise beef," Eshel said. For consumers who truly want to be environmentally conscious, he added, "don't make beef a habit." ___ Follow Melina Walling on X @MelinaWalling and Bluesky @melinawalling.bsky.social. ___ The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. 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