Not saying people have to go vegetarian, but reducing meat consumption or using more efficiently produced meats (in terms of land use) would overall make the world a nicer and more interesting place.
And, really, with the whole neu5gc thing, it might be that humans would be better off focusing on chickens and seafood anyway (clams being a pretty good option for seafood that is relatively environmentally friendly).
They don't tend to "bulk up" as much as conventional (grain fed and/or finished) options though, so are more expensive to produce... the gas emissions are another issue that is largely different for grass fed, where the off gases are roughly the same as the grass's natural breakdown would release anyway.
In terms of water use, naturally grass fed cattle are mostly using water that fell on the land as rain in terms of how much water they use. It's not much from municipal sources, unlike vegetation farming.
Of course there are other ruminant options that are more efficient than cattle, such as goats and sheep, with similar benefits to the soil.
It just bugs me that cattle gets such a bad repuation... especially in that it's one of the few things I can eat without issue.
Also, kurzgesagt did a pretty good episode on meat production (edit - they did several, but one was on the production demands in terms of energy and environment), and if I'm to trust their figures, the "cattle grazing exclusively on the pampas" is far from the majority of world cattle. If it was, that probably would be an improvement, esp if it was done in a way that allowed other species to exist too (maybe bring some buffalo back?). The percentage would be dramatically improved if finishing lots were eliminated though (still a minority though). So maybe that's a simple option. Plus, that's the cruelest part of the cow's existence.
https://ourworldindata.org/global-land-for-agriculture (crazy amount of habitable surface of planet is livestock) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-024-01398-4 (study on what percent of production is actually "low-intensity grazing on marginal land")
Again, not saying eliminate, just... reduce...
This means raising much more than we currently do, and probably a reduction in slaughter numbers for the next 50+ years to increase the domestic supply. Can't speak for other nations... but it's literally expanding grasslands as opposed to desert.
... and only some places would (possibly) benefit from that.
As for marginal land... personally, I can only handle mostly eating meat and eggs, doing much better with ruminants. I'd be just fine with the majority of uninhabited lands being used by mostly wild ruminants over any kind of farming, especially farming that is using chemical fertilizers and stripping the land.
Seems like we could reintroduce buffalo from our reserve, a much better solution than government managed/subsidized free range cattlemen. Get government out of the cattle business, end government handouts and all that other free market talking point stuff.
Can, but that doesn't mean it always is. There's lots of cattle that never even comes outside, and is fed food that humans could also eat.
I recall reading that during the famine in Ethiopia in the 1980s, Ethiopian farmers were exporting beans to feed cattle in Europe because that was more profitable than feeding people in Ethiopia.
Beef is simply extremely inefficient. And so, unfortunately, is cheese (I can do without beef, but not without cheese). If cattle is grazing on land that's simply not usable for anything else, that's a completely different matter, but that's not how most cattle are fed.
I've seen articles and threads like this for decades at this point. And the only thing any of you have convinced me of is that I must start securing my own production of meat. This is, I think, the exact opposite of "more efficiently" at least from your point of view. I will be unlikely to reach the feed-to-gain ratios that professionals regularly achieve.
Swine and poultry already in progress, beef and more exotic stuff within the next 2 years.
Anyway, you do you. Just offering my opinion on this 'cause it seemed like a good place to do it.
I’ve vegan for 20+ years and find weird the obsession people have with meat that without even talking about milk. Literally there are hundreds of alternatives better for health, for the environment and for the animals yet we keep looking for justifications to consume them.
- Brewer/nutritional/super yeast (with a bit of oil and/or smashed cashew): in place of Parmesan
- Tahini: less cheesy but equally bold taste as yeast
- Lactic acid fermented Tofu: whey cheese.
- Tempeh: my favorite, just oiled-panned with salt and pepper. Between chicken and soft-Camembert
I don't find tahini to taste anything like yeast/cheese, though to be fair I mainly use tahini in hummus.
I'm not familiar with lactic acid fermented Tofu - does that go by a different name?
Tempeh seems more nutty than cheese-like to me, though I rarely eat it as my wife doesn't like the flavour or texture of it.
Personally, I'd recommend Japanese Natto if you're after a cheesy flavour - it's soy beans fermented in straw/hay and ends up becoming somewhat slimy/stringy, so it's a bit of an acquired taste.
> lactic acid fermented Tofu The english name of the one I buy is "Lactofermented Tofu" [0], although their ingredients [1] lacks a coagulant but have ferment instead: I guess the tonyu+ferment produce lactic acid, which then coagulate the fermented tonyu into tofu. I wonder if that make a big difference with classic recipes that ferment the tofu directly [2].
> Tempeh It's a fresh product and the taste really differ depending on:
- Ripeness. It can be ripped a few days to build an intense flavor when homemade or bought fresh.
- Ingredients. Same fungus (Rhizopus oligosporus) can be used to ferment others legumes/grains. I once made black-lentil-tempeh which had a very strong gorgonzola flavor with a firm and non-fat texture.
0 https://lesojami.com/en/our-ranges/
1 (french) https://lesojami.com/produit/tofu-lactofermente-ail-des-ours...
2 https://revolutionfermentation.com/en/blogs/tempeh-soy-grain...
I don't think the fermented tofu is popular here, but I have seen fermented tofu sold in the same Chinese supermarket - it's sold in either glass or porcelain jars and doesn't usually have any english translation on them. I have got a jar that I bought a while ago, but I haven't had the courage to try it yet as the tofu looks blackened and murky.
Similarly, I've only tried Tempeh from mainstream supermarkets, so that might be why I don't find it to taste cheesy.
Pimento Cheese Spread
Blend until smooth:
1c. water (may use water from pimentos)
¾ c. cashew nuts or sunflower seeds
2 T sesame seeds
1¼ tsp salt
3 T Brewer's yeast flakes
⅔ c. rolled oats (only if being used for lasagna)
1 tsp onion powder
⅛ tsp garlic powder
⅛ tsp dill seed
½ c. pimentos
¼ c. lemon juice (or to taste)
May add 2 T. arrowroot or cornstarch if used for spread