4-20 FB Grains and Gas

 Alex Avery, Director of Research and Education of the Hudson Institute Center for Global Food Issues, has this to say about the issue of grain feeding cattle.   If you look at our report from 2007 on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of grain-fed versus grass-finished beef, the numbers show grain-finishing results in 40% fewer CO2-equivalent GHG emissions per pound of beef than grass-finished. Avery, co-authored a significant study on the importance of modern agricultural practices and recently offered a clarification on the role of methane production in fed cattle. I called up Jessie Thompson, the communications coordinator for the Idaho Cattlemen’s Association and asked about Mr. Avery and this indelicate subject: “grain finished cattle have a smaller greenhouse gas footprint than grass finished cattle and feedlot operators can use less resources in the process and that is a huge issue right now especially considering the increase in the cost of commodities and other overhead expenses have grown in the last year.”  So grain feeding cattle does cost a little more but at least those extra dollars don’t go up in smoke, or make that methane.