04/03/08 New comparison report

The study by the Hudson Institute's Center for Global Food Issues compared beef produced with grain feed and growth promoters with beef from organic grass feed. Co-author Alex Avery found that a system using growth promoting hormones is safe for humans and the environment and what's more it benefits the environment. AVERY "If we're really going to put concern for the environment at the top of our list then the item to shop for would be the conventionally produced beef not the organically produced beef." Avery says you have to factor in the extra time and land that's needed for organic production which also takes an approach of relying only on grass. Avery says that exacerbates the problem. AVERY "It encourages methane production in the animals because of the amount of roughage in their diet." Avery believes in the modern production system of more pounds of beef from a given amount of land. AVERY "That not only conserves wildlife habitat but the less land we convert into farm land the less greenhouse gas emissions we're going to get from that land." According to Avery the environmentally aware consumer who wants grass fed beef needs to rethink their beef purchasing. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott