Editorial

Cows: Feed 'em grass

Thursday, April 13, 2006

When we reach for a package of rib eye steaks and a gallon of milk in the grocery store, few of us think twice about how a steer became the steak in our hands or how a milk cow produced the goods in our milk cartons. Perhaps we should, because the way the vast majority of beef and dairy cattle are raised in the United States poses big problems for the environment, human health, and animal health. 

The bucolic ideal of cattle lazily grazing on pasture is an aberration in today's beef and dairy industry. The reality is very different. U.S. Department of Agriculture data show that the overwhelming majority of dairy cattle in the United States do not have access to pasture. Instead, they spend their days confined in large feedlots, eating a grain-based diet designed to make them produce large quantities of milk. Beef cattle spend the last four to six months of their lives in similar feedlots being fattened for slaughter.  

But a growing number of innovative farmers have found a better way to produce meat and milk. These farmers raise beef and dairy cattle in small herds on pastures where they eat grass and other forages their entire lives.  

From a nutrition standpoint, it matters how our beef and dairy cattle are raised. A new study by the Union of Concerned Scientists confirms that grass-fed beef and milk tend to contain higher levels of omega-3-fatty acids, the so-called beneficial fats, that reduce the risk of heart disease and protect the immune system. Both grass-fed ground beef and milk are also higher in conjugated linoleic acid, a fatty acid shown in animal studies to protect against cancer. Though the amounts of fatty acids in grass-fed beef and milk are relatively small, they may be beneficial and merit further research.  

Environmentally, there are stark differences between feedlot operations and grass-fed farms. Cattle raised on pasture fertilize the land with their manure in amounts that the soil can safely absorb. In contrast, the beef cattle crammed in industrial feedlot operations generate many tons of manure that are stored in lagoons where breaches or leaks can harm local water supplies and fish populations.

Confined cattle are also prone to disease, which leads most feedlot operators to routinely administer antibiotics to prevent illness and accelerate growth. Overuse of these antibiotics in animals makes bacteria resistant to the same antibiotics doctors prescribe to people.  

So, what's good for the cattle is also good for us. Grass-fed farming offers a way to keep small farmers on their land. A recent USDA resource survey found that pasture-raised dairy cows yielded a 5 percent higher profit per cow than dairy cows not raised on pasture.

The American Grass-fed Association, a membership organization established to promote the industry, estimates that 500 ranchers are already raising beef cattle on grass, and the USDA reports that roughly 7,000 dairy farmers are intensively grazing cows on pasture. Currently, the demand for the meat and milk they produce greatly exceeds their supply, but supply will catch up if consumers keep asking for the product.   To help keep this fledgling industry growing, consumers should ask their local grocery stores to stock grass-fed beef and dairy products. Producers employing conventional methods of raising beef and dairy should embrace the healthier practices that grass-fed production affords. And, the USDA should fund research into the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids and CLAs and the production practices that can increase their levels in milk and meat.  

There are no losers in raising cattle on pasture: consumers win, farmers win, the environment wins, and even the cattle win. 

Dr. Margaret Mellon is Director of the Food and Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. UCS is an independent nonprofit alliance of 50,000 concerned citizens and scientists across the country. UCS augments rigorous scientific analysis with innovative thinking and committed citizen advocacy to build a cleaner, healthier environment and a safer world. www.ucsusa.org