Is the grass always greener? Comparing the environmental impact of conventional, natural and grass-fed beef production systems

Animals

Volumn 2, Issue 2, 2012, Pages 127-143

  Capper, Judith L ^a  

^a WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

Beef; Carbon footprint; Corn; Environmental impact; Feedlot; Grass fed; Greenhouse gas; Productivity

Indexed keywords

EID: 84880016416     PISSN: None     EISSN: 20762615     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.3390/ani2020127     Document Type: Article

References (65)

1. What is Sustainability? Available online: http://www.epa.gov/Sustainability/basicinfo.htm (accessed on 15 March 2010).
2. How to Feed the World in 2050; FAO: Rome, Italy, 2009.
3. Tilman, D.; Cassman, K.G.; Matson, P.A.; Naylor, R.; Polasky, S. Agricultural sustainability and intensive production practices. Nature 2002, 418, 671-677.
4. Xue, H.; Mainville, D.; You, W.; Nayga, R.M. Consumer preferences and willingness to pay for grass-fed beef: Empirical evidence from in-store experiments. Food Quality Preference 2010, 21, 857-866.
5. Capper, J.L. The environmental impact of United States beef production: 1977 compared with 2007. J. Anim. Sci. 2011, 89, 4249-4261.
6. Lawrence, J.D.; Ibarburu, M. Economic Analysis of Pharmaceutical Technologies in Modern Beef Production in a Bioeconomy Era; Iowa State University: Ames, IA, USA, 2007.
7. Capper, J.L.; Hayes, D.J. The environmental and economic impact of removing growth-enhancing technologies from United States beef production. J. Anim. Sci. 2012, submitted.
8. MacArthur Clark, J.A.; Pottera, M.; Hardinga, E. The welfare implications of animal breeding and breeding technologies in commercial agriculture. Livest. Sci. 2006, 103, 270-281.
9. Fraser, D. Toward a global perspective on farm animal welfare. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2008, 113, 330-339.
10. Anderson, S.A.; Yeaton Woo, R.W.; Crawford, L.M. Risk assessment of the impact on human health of resistant Campylobacter jejuni from fluoroquinolone use in beef cattle. Food Control 2001, 12, 13-25.
11. Harrington, L.M.B.; Lu, M. Beef feedlots in southwestern Kansas: Local change, perceptions, and the global change context. Global Environ. Change 2002, 12, 273-282.
12. Niche beef products comprise small share of total retail beef sales. Available online: http://www.beef.org/uDocs/nichebeefproducts.pdf (accessed on 16 January 2012).
13. USDA/AMS. United States Standards for Livestock and Meat Marketing Claims, Grass (Forage) Fed Claim for Ruminant Livestock and the Meat Products Derived From Such Livestock-Docket No. AMS-LS-07-0113; LS-05-09; USDA: Washington, DC, USA, 2007.
14. Agricultural Modeling and Training Systems (AMTS). Cattle Pro; Cornell Research Foundation: Ithaca, NY, USA, 2006.
15. Beckett, J.L.; Oltjen, J.W. Estimation of the water requirement for beef production in the United States. J. Anim. Sci. 1993, 71, 818-826.
16. Meyer, U.; Stahl, W.; Flachowsky, G. Investigations on the water intake of growing bulls. Livest. Sci. 2006, 103, 186-191.
17. Moe, P.W.; Tyrrell, H.F. Methane production in dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 1979, 62, 1583-1586.
18. Kaspar, H.F.; Tiedje, J.M. Dissimilatory reduction of nitrate and nitrite in the bovine rumen: Nitrous oxide production and effect of acetylene. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 1981, 41, 705-709.
19. Kirchgessner, M.; Windisch, W.; Muller, H.L.; M, K. Release of methane and of carbon dioxide by dairy cattle. Agribiol. Res. 1991, 44, 2-9.
20. U.S. EPA. Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2008; U.S. EPA: Washington, DC, USA, 2010.
21. IPCC. IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories; Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) for the IPCC: Kanagawa, Japan, 2006.
22. USDA/NASS. 2007 Census of Agriculture: Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey; USDA: Washington, DC, USA, 2007.
23. West, T.O.; Marland, G. A synthesis of carbon sequestration, carbon emissions, and net carbon flux in agriculture: Comparing tillage practices in the United States. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ. 2002, 91, 217-232.
24. U.S. EPA. Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 Through 2009; US EPA: Washington, DC, USA, 2009.
25. USDA. Part I: Baseline Reference of Feedlot Management Practices, 1999; USDA:APHIS:VS, CEAH, National Animal Health Monitoring System: Fort Collins, CO, USA, 2000.
26. USDA. Beef 2007-08 Part I: Reference of Beef Cow-Calf Management Practices in the United States, 2007-08; USDA:APHIS:VS, CEAH, National Animal Health Monitoring System: Fort Collins, CO, USA, 2009.
27. USDA. Beef 2007-08 Part II: Reference of Beef Cow-calf Management Practices in the United States, 2007-08; USDA:APHIS:VS, CEAH, National Animal Health Monitoring System: Fort Collins, CO, USA, 2009.
28. USDA. Part II: Baseline Reference of Feedlot Health and Health Management, 1999; USDA:APHIS:VS, CEAH, National Animal Health Monitoring System: Fort Collins, CO, USA, 2000.
29. Cederberg, C.; Stadig, M. System expansion and allocation in life cycle assessment of milk and beef production. Int. J. LCA. 2003, 8, 350-356.
30. Capper, J.L.; Cady, R.A.; Bauman, D.E. The environmental impact of dairy production: 1944 compared with 2007. J. Anim. Sci. 2009, 87, 2160-2167.
31. Sprott, L.R.; Goehring, T.B.; Beverly, J.R.; Corah, L.R. Effects of ionophores on cow herd production: A review. J. Anim. Sci. 1988, 66, 1340-1346.
32. Perrett, T.; Wildman, B.K.; Jim, G.K.; Vogstad, A.R.; Fenton, R.K.; Hannon, S.L.; Schunicht, O.C.; Abutarbush, S.M.; Booker, C.W. Evaluation of the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of Melengestrol Acetate in feedlot heifer calves in Western Canada. Vet. Ther. 2008, 9, 223-240.
33. Sides, G.E.; Swingle, R.S.; Vasconcelos, J.T.; Borg, R.C.; Moseley, W.M. Effect of feeding Melengestrol Acetate, Monensin, and Tylosin on performance, carcass measurements, and liver abscesses of feedlot heifers. Profess. Anim. Scient. 2009, 25, 459-464.
34. Scramlin, S.M.; Platter, W.J.; Gomez, R.J.; Choat, W.T.; McKeith, F.T.; Killefer, J. Comparative effects of ractopamine hydrochloride and zilpaterol hydrochloride on growth performance, carcass traits, and longissimus tenderness of finishing steers. J. Anim. Sci. 2010, 88, 1823-1829.
35. Montgomery, J.L.; Krehbiel, C.R.; Cranston, J.J.; Yates, D.A.; Hutcheson, J.P.; Nichols, W.T.; Streeter, M.N.; Bechtol, D.T.; Johnson, E.; TerHune, T.; Montgomery, T.H. Dietary zilpaterol hydrochloride. I. Feedlot performance and carcass traits of steers and heifers. J. Anim. Sci. 2009, 87, 1374-1383.
36. Montgomery, J.L.; Krehbiel, C.R.; Cranston, J.J.; Yates, D.A.; Hutchseon, J.P.; Nichols, W.T.; Streeter, M.N.; Swingle, R.S.; Montgomery, T.H. Effects of dietary zilpaterol hydrochloride on feedlot performance and carcass characteristics of beef steers fed with and without monensin and tylosin. J. Anim. Sci. 2009, 87, 1013-1023.
37. Elam, N.A.; Vasconcelos, J.T.; Hilton, G.G.; VanOverbeke, D.L.; Lawrence, T.E.; Montgomery, T.H.; Nichols, W.T.; Streeter, M.N.; Hutcheson, J.P.; Yates, D.A.; Galyean, M.L. Effect of zilpaterol hydrochloride duration of feeding on performance and carcass characteristics of feedlot cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 2009, 87, 2133-2141.
38. Laudert, S.; Vogel, G.; Schroeder, A.; Platter, W.; Van Koevering, M. Effects of ractopamine fed to finishing steers. II. Summary of six studies-Carcass traits. J. Anim. Sci. 2005, 83(Suppl. 1), 112.
39. Schroeder, A.L.; Polser, D.M.; Laudert, S.B.; Vogel, G.J.; Ripberger, T.; Van Koevering, M.T. The Effect of Optaflexx on Growth Performance and Carcass Traits of Steers and Heifers. In Proceedings of the 19th Annual Southwest Nutrition and Management Conference, Tempe, AZ, USA, 24-25 February 2004; pp. 65-81.
40. Laudert, S.; Vogel, G.; Schroeder, A.; Platter, W.; Van Koevering, M. Effects of ractopamine fed to finishing steers. I. Summary of six studies-Growth performance. J. Anim. Sci. 2005, 83(Suppl. 1), 112.
41. Abney, C.S.; Vasconcelos, J.T.; McMeniman, J.P.; Keyser, S.A.; Wilson, K.R.; Vogel, G.J.; Galyean, M.L. Effects of ractopamine hydrochloride on performance, rate and variation in feed intake, and acid-base balance in feedlot cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 2007, 85, 3090-3098.
42. Gruber, S.L.; Tatum, J.D.; Engle, T.E.; Mitchell, M.A.; Laudert, S.B.; Schroeder, A.L.; Platter, W.J. Effects of ractopamine supplementation on growth performance and carcass characteristics of feedlot steers differing in biological type. J. Anim. Sci. 2007, 85, 1809-1815.
43. Vogel, G.J.; Duff, G.C.; Lehmkuhler, J.; Beckett, J.L.; Drouilliard, J.S.; Schroeder, A.L.; Platter, W.J.; Van Koevering, M.T.; Laudert, S.B. Effect of ractopamine hydrochloride on growth performance and carcass traits in calf-fed and yearling Holstein steers fed to slaughter. Profess. Anim. Sci. 2009, 25, 26-32.
44. Anderson, D.B.; Moody, D.E.; Hancock, D.L. Beta-Adrenergic Agonists. In Encyclopedia of Animal Science; Pond, W.G., Bell, A.W., Eds.; Marcel-Dekker Inc.: New York, NY, USA, 2005.
45. Baxa, T.J.; Hutcheson, J.P.; Miller, M.F.; Brooks, J.C.; Nichols, W.T.; Streeter, M.N.; Yates, D.A.; Johnson, B.J. Additive effects of a steroidal implant and zilpaterol hydrochloride on feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, and skeletal muscle messenger ribonucleic acid abundance in finishing steers. J. Anim. Sci. 2010, 88, 330-337.
46. Avery, A.; Avery, D. The Environmental Safety and Benefits of Pharmaceutical Technologies in Beef Production; Hudson Institute, Center for Global Food Issues: Washington, DC, USA, 2007.
47. Pelletier, N.; Pirog, R.; Rasmussen, R. Comparative life cycle environmental impacts of three beef production strategies in the Upper Midwestern United States. Agr. Syst. 2010, 103, 380-389.
48. Bauman, D.E.; Capper, J.L. Future Challenges and Opportunities in Animal Nutrition. In Proceedings of 26th Southwest Nutrition & Management Conference, Tempe, AZ, USA, 24 February 2011.
49. Global Agriculture Towards 2050; FAO: Rome, Italy, 2009.
50. Garnett, T. Livestock-related greenhouse gas emissions: Impacts and options for policy makers. Environ. Sci. Policy 2009, 12, 491-503.
51. Pimentel, D.; Pimentel, M. Sustainability of meat-based and plant-based diets and the environment. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2003, 78, 660S-663S.
52. We can feed 10 billion of us, study finds-But it won't be easy. Available online: http://www.grist.org/population/2011-10-13-we-can-feed-10-billion-of-us-study-finds-but-itwont-be-easy (accessed on 6 January 2012).
53. Wilkinson, J.M. Re-defining efficiency of feed use by livestock. Animal 2011, 5, 1014-1022.
54. Godfray, H.C.J.; Beddington, J.R.; Crute, I.R.; Haddad, L.; Lawrence, D.; Muir, J.F.; Pretty, J.; Robinson, S.; Thomas, S.M.; Toulmin, C. Food security: The challenge of feeding 9 billion people. Science 2010, 327, 812-818.
55. Harta, M.R.; Quin, B.F.; Nguyen, M.L. Phosphorus runoff from agricultural land and direct fertilizer effects: A review. J. Environ. Qual. 2004, 33, 1954-1972.
56. Arogo, J.; Westerman, P.W.; Heber, A.J.; Robarge, W.P.; Classen, J.J. Ammonia Emissions from Animal Feeding Operations. In Animal Agriculture and the Environment: National Center for Manure and Animal Waste Management White Papers; Rice, J.M., Caldwell, D.F., Humenik, F.J., Eds.; ASABE: St. Joseph, MI, USA, 2006.
57. Beauchemin, K.A.; Janzen, H.H.; Little, S.M.; McAllister, T.A.; McGinn, S.M. Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from beef production in western Canada-Evaluation using farm-based life cycle assessment. An. Feed. Sci. Tech. 2011, 166-167, 663-677.
58. Cederberg, C.; Meyer, D.; Flysjo, A. Life Cycle Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Use of Land and Energy in Brazilian Beef Production; The Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology: Gothenburg, Sweden, 2009.
59. Peters, G.M.; Rowley, H.V.; Wiedemann, S.; Tucker, R.; Short, M.D.; Schultz, M.S. Red meat production in Australia: Life cycle assessment and comparison with overseas studies. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2010, 44, 1327-1332.
60. Ridoutt, B.G.; Sanguansri, P.; Harper, G.S. Comparing carbon and water footprints for beef cattle production in Southern Australia. Sustainability 2011, 3, 2443-2455
61. Meat Eater's Guide to Climate Change and Health; Environmental Working Group: Washington, DC, USA, 2011.
62. Johnson, K.A.; Johnson, D.E. Methane emissions from cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 1995, 73, 2483-2492.
63. Pinares-Patiño, C.S.; Waghorn, G.C.; Hegarty, R.S.; Hoskin, S.O. Effects of intensification of pastoral farming on greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand. N. Z. Vet. J. 2009, 57, 252-261.
64. Bruce, J.P.; Frome, M.; Haites, E.; Janzen, H.; Lal, R.; Pawtian, K. Carbon sequestration in soils. J. Soil Water Conserv. 1999, 54, 382-389.
65. Conant, R.T.; Paustian, K.; Elliott, E.T. Grassland management and conversion into grassland: Effects on soil carbon. Ecol. Appl. 2001, 11, 343-355.