Thoughts on Beef Consumption, Post COP26

Spring view of the Eastern Slopes, Waldron Grazing Co-op

Conservation with Cattle

Through COP26 we continued to hear how beef is the villain. “Do your part, consume less beef.

As we listen to this we get back to work “destroying the climate”. Upon our non fossil fuel burning mode of transport. Moving cattle across the grasslands. On this particular day here’s our view along the eastern slopes. Just look at that destruction.

This photo was taken from a hilltop on the Waldron Grazing co-op. This is a perfect vantage point to see the undisturbed native grasslands where local ranchers graze cattle, mimicking what incredibly huge herds of bison did only a few hundred years ago. The fact that ranchers continue to steward these lands is the reason the view is the same today as it was hundreds of years ago. Not only are these ranchers earning a living, feeding their families, and circulating their dollars in their surrounding communities. They are protecting these grasslands from cultivation and thereby sequestering carbon, recycling nutrients through the rich soil, filtering and holding water and maintaining biodiversity. Their tool to do this? Ruminants. It is a partnership between conservation and cattle.

Fact: an estimated 74% of Canadian grasslands have been lost to cultivation and development

If we were to buy into the media and what we heard out of COP 26 we should stop eating and therefore producing beef. Then what? Allow these grasslands to be cultivated where geologically possible? Releasing carbon and losing the ability to sequester? Keep in mind ruminants are the only way to convert forages which aren’t digestible by human’s to high quality protein that is digestible.

Fact: across Canada beef producers aid in the sequestration of over 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon

The bison population that roamed Canada was reported to be between 50 and 100 million. This is far greater number than the currently declining population of approximately 11 million head of cattle. So how did nearly 10 times the population of bison roaming naturally for centuries do nothing to the climate, and suddenly cattle are ruining it? One would question the financial forces of big business at play behind this….

Fact: Beef producers contribute 2.4 % of Canadian GHG or .04% of global GHGs

Understanding these facts should allow you, our consumers to be proud to eat Canadian beef. Doing so protects our native landscape. It is very important to understand that much of the native habitat left is owned and/or managed by beef producers. This makes the partnership between cattle and conservation is so very important.

There is no denying Climate Change demands our attention, but we must not allow our attention to be diverted from the true culprits by untruths and misrepresented/misguided intentions. The consequence to our soil, our health and our planet would be dreadful.

Doesn’t look too villainous after all, now does it?