Steak Goes Green

Well, not really. But carnivores can enjoy steak in an eco-friendly manner, experts say. It all depends on what the cattle are feeding upon. Grass-fed cattle have up to 33% less fat and nearly double the amount of healthy omega-3 fatty acids than cattle that feed on grain. However, most U.S. ranchers raise their cattle on grain mixes composed mostly of cheap corn.

The grain-fed cattle bulk up quickly on the high-carb diet, so they’re more profitable for ranchers. However, a growing trend in the industry is bucking the grain diet tradition. The benefits are two-fold: the cattle are healthier, with higher levels of CLA, a linoleic acid associated with weight loss and reduced cancer risk, and have lower chances of being contaminated by E. coli. So what does all of this have to do with the environment? Simple. The corn that is mass produced to feed to the cattle is associated with major greenhouse gas emissions. A staggering 1.5 billion bushels of corn are produced in the United States each year just to have enough corn to feed to the cows.

According to Cornell’s Dr. David Pimental, grain-fed cattle take twice as much energy to feed as grass-fed cattle. So what’s stopping us from shifting toward entirely grass-fed beef? Easy: the price. A grass-fed steak can cost as much as five times the amount as a grain-fed steak. However, more and more retailers are offering it as a greener solution for eco-conscious meat lovers. The greater the number of people interested in grass-fed cattle, the lower the prices will be driven. Next time you’re buying beef, check out the label: look for a black and white logo that reads “grass fed and USDA verified.”