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A model for 'sustainable' US beef production.

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Sustainable beef production in the US, defined as exclusively grass-fed, could meet 45% of current demand using existing pastures. Reallocating cropland to plant-based foods offers significantly more nutrition.

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Area of Science:

  • Agricultural Science
  • Environmental Science
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Food production significantly impacts land, water, and fertilizer use, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Beef production in the United States is a major consumer of agricultural resources, both overall and on a per-unit basis (kcal or protein).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To define and quantify potential sustainable beef production in the US.
  • To assess the impact of reallocating land from beef to plant-based food production.

Main Methods:

  • Defined 'sustainable' beef as exclusively grass-fed and by-product consuming.
  • Quantified potential US beef production based on current pastureland characteristics and use.
  • Modeled land reallocation scenarios from beef to plant-based food production.

Main Results:

  • Current US pastureland could sustainably produce approximately 45% of current beef production.
  • Rewilding half of less productive pastureland could still support about 43% of current beef production.
  • Reallocating 32 million ha of cropland from beef to plant-based foods yields 2-20 times more calories and protein, plus increased nutrients, but no vitamin B12.

Conclusions:

  • Sustainable, grass-fed beef production has limitations in meeting current demand.
  • Shifting land use from beef to plant-based foods offers substantial nutritional benefits.
  • Optimized grazing practices may enhance future beef production capacity.