When it comes to the media reporting on agriculture issues, I wish they could start a better conversation and work towards a solution together, with the agriculture industry.
Opinions are like problems…everybody has them. So, instead of pointing at others to blame, let’s highlight the things the ag industry is doing to help be more sustainable.
The New York Times shared a piece back in February about how harmful the ag industry is to the environment. This caused an uproar, considering they didn’t report a controversial issue in an unbiased way, and continue to do this despite studies showing otherwise.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association stated that “According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), beef cattle are responsible for only 2% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the U.S. When you add in the production of animal feed and necessary fuel and electricity, all beef production is still only responsible for 3.7% of GHG emissions in the U.S. By contrast, transportation accounts for 29% of GHG emissions and electricity accounts for nearly 25% of GHG emissions in the U.S.
Almost a third of U.S. land is too rocky or dry to be used for growing food crops, but it’s perfect for cattle. This otherwise inarable land allows for cattle to contribute more than three times as much high-quality protein to the U.S. food supply than they consume, directly helping to increase food security in the United States. Not only that, but science shows that cattle ranches provide numerous ecosystem benefits like preserving wildlife habitats, defending against invasive plants, mitigating wildfires and storing carbon. In fact, the U.S. lands that cattle graze and preserve are crucial for carbon sequestration, as they are estimated to contain 10–30% of the carbon stored in soil.
That’s why U.S. beef’s carbon footprint is 10 to 50 times lower than other regions of the world. In fact, between 1961 and 2019, the U.S. beef industry has reduced emissions per pound of beef by more than 40% while also producing more than 60% more beef per animal.”
I know, in a place like NY, there is a lot of transportation and electricity utilized, but I know those industries are working to improve as well. Maybe it’s easier for some to remove meat from their diet than it is to stop driving or use electricity, but truthfully, we need animal ag for a truly sustainable world! We also need to think about the lives behind the industries we hate on- people who are passionate entrepreneurs, who love their animals, their lifestyles, and their right to choose.
I have seen some amazing articles that have supported the agriculture industry, and then I see opinion pieces that don’t seem to give any solutions to the issues, they just complain and spread emotionally charged perspectives.
As a member of this industry, and one who didn’t really understand where her food came from just 6 years ago, I have learned so much about this industry and I am so proud of the work that members of agriculture put in to make our industry better. They are taking actionable steps to make sure we protect our right to choose our food, have an abundant supply of high-quality food products, and have less impact on the environment. Studies, research, new technology, and awareness have all helped us improve over the decades.
I hope you can write an article that highlights what the industry is doing to help ease the concerns of your readers, instead of publishing opinion pieces that cancel different aspects of agriculture. The truth is, we need all of it in order to feed the world, and we want to work with you to help us do that! We are not your enemy, we just want to be understood!
I’m thankful for USA agriculture and I am thankful to be a part of it and I hope more media outlets will open up a conversation, bring in multiple viewpoints and experts, and allow people to decide for themselves the type of agriculture they want to support.
