Article Author: Judith L. Capper
Article Source: MPDI
Article Date: March 27, 2012
Article Link: http://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/2/2/127/htm
Summary: While grass-fed beef is better for you from a nutritional standpoint, grass-feeding cattle has a larger negative impact on the environment than grain-feeding cattle.
There is less environmental impact to raise cattle using grain- per amount of beef, it consumes less resources.
ReplyDeleteIs there a way to find a happy middle between grain and grass fed that will both increase the health of the meat and lessen the environmental impact? Maybe a combination of the two diets?
Although grass-fed beef is healthier, grain-fed beef has better impacts on the environment. For example, it releases less fossil fuels. How does grass-fed beef higher the carbon output into the environment?
ReplyDeleteWhile grass fed may have better health benefits, grain fed is significantly more environmentally friendly and efficient.
ReplyDeleteCould there be a type of grass that would feed the cattle in a more environmentally conscious way?
Grass fed beef has detrimental environmental effects and it can be concluded that grain fed beef are better for the environment. How does the environment effects of grass fed beef compare to that of fish?
ReplyDeleteLearned: Although grass-fed beef is better for you nutritionally, it requires a lot more resources such as land water, feed, and produces more manure and carbon dioxide.
ReplyDeleteQuestions: Could we create a new breed of grass that will require less water and land, but retain the same nutritional value for grazing cattle?
What I Learned: Despite the clear nutritional benefits of grass fed beef, grain fed beef is clearly more efficient and more environmentally friendly.
ReplyDeleteQuestion I still have: Have the positive environmental effects of grain fed beef been noticeable in environmental health? If so, to what degree?
Grain fed cattle produce 42% less carbon than grass-fed cattle, which has a positive impact on the environment.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't growth enhancing technology on cattle also have a negative impact on the environment since the cattle still interact with the environment?
Something I learned from this is that the grain-fed beef have at least 40% less damage to the environment and what it takes to produce beef for our consumption. In other words, they're produce efficient, just not the best healthiest choice.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Do the resources that are used to create these grain fed beef weigh out the important factor of keeping our diet healthy?
Two questions:
ReplyDelete(1) Grain finished beef - what is the relevance of this wording? (grain finished vs grain fed)
(2) Other than the impact on resources, are their physiological side effects of growth enhancing technology? (Obviously growth ... but what else?)