Eating Less Meat Won't Curb Climate Change, Air Quality Expert Says

Monday, March 22, 2010 (American Meat Institute)

Consuming less meat will not reduce our greenhouse gas production, a leading air quality expert said on Monday, Agence France-Presse reports. Frank Mitloehner, a professor at the University of California-Davis, delivered his remarks during a conference of the American Chemical Society in California.

Mitloehner is the author of the published study, “Cleaning the Air: Livestock’s Contribution to Climate Change,” which asserts that despite often repeated claims, it is simply not scientifically accurate to blame livestock for climate change. The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Advances in Agronomy.

Mitloehner traces much of the public confusion over meat and milk’s role in climate change to a 2006 United Nations report, titled "Livestock's Long Shadow," which he says overstates the role livestock play in greenhouse gas emissions.

These statements are not accurate, yet their wide distribution through news media have put us on the wrong path toward solutions, Mitloehner said.

"We certainly can reduce our greenhouse-gas production, but not by consuming less meat and milk… but by increasing efficient meat production in developing countries, where growing populations need more nutritious food,” Mitloehner says.

To view the abstract of Mitloehner’s report, click here

Consumers less familiar with farming

By Mindy Ward and Jeff DeYoung, Missouri Farmer Today
Friday, February 26, 2010 11:27 AM CST

CHESTERFIELD -- With consumers now two generations removed from life on the farm, explaining how their food made it to the dinner table is more complicated.

Dave Drennan says that those in the animal-rights movement manipulate and twist agriculture’s story to suit their agenda. And, consumers are listening and watching.

As video footage of tail-docking and dehorning of dairy cattle stream across television and computer screens, all Dave Drennan could do was cringe.

“There are common-sense reasons dairy farmers do this, to protect themselves, other cows and the food supply,” he says.

Drennan, executive director of the Missouri Dairy Association, says that while many Missouri dairy farmers do not use the practice of tail-docking, many will cauterize horns.

“It protects the farmer from getting gored while working with the cows,” he says. “And, if they are all about animal well-being, this protects other cows from hurt from being gored. Isn’t that what they want? A safe environment for the cows.”

He says the issue surrounding tail-docking also focuses on safety. Tail-docking started as a way to protect farmers from illnesses spread by cow urine and feces during the milking process. It was also an attempt to keep the feces and urine from finding its way into the milk supply.

However, these two concepts are lost in the story, Drennan says. Many consumers do not visit a farm to learn about their food. Rather, they rely on the media.

“Families do not take that weekend trip to Grandma and Grandpa’s farm anymore,” he says. “They are not tied to agriculture. They do not see just where their food comes from and what we do on the farm.”
Full story at link ....