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The cattle need to be fed too, and they don't turn their food into meat very efficiently. That's why replacing meat with plant based alternatives is (almost) al
by cerebellum42 8y ago
The cattle need to be fed too, and they don't turn their food into meat very efficiently. That's why replacing meat with plant based alternatives is (almost) always a huge gain in efficiency, in terms of resource use.
- JoeAltmaier 8y agoI believe this is an urban legend? Anyway, most crops don't convert to protein any better than cattle.
- cerebellum42 8y agoCrops are also not perfectly efficient, but it's simply replacing two chained instances of inefficiencies with one. Instead of Crops -> Animal feed -> Cattle -> Meat -> Eat you have Crops -> some processing -> Eat
- JoeAltmaier 8y agoThen there's the 92% of grazing land that doesn't grow crops. That's a clear win for cattle.
- yorwba 8y agoAccording to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization [1] "just less than half the world's usable surface is covered by grazing systems" and "Grazing systems supply about 9 percent of the world's production of beef and about 30 percent of the world's production of sheep and goat meat." Doesn't seem like such a clear win for cattle. They do note that "For an estimated 100 million people in arid areas, and probably a similar number in other zones, grazing livestock is the only possible source of livelihood.", so not everyone might be able to afford a vegetarian diet, but 91% of beef seems replaceable. [1] http://www.fao.org/docrep/X5303E/x5303e05.htm#chapter%202:%20livestock%20grazing%20systems%20&%20the%20environment http://www.fao.org/docrep/X5303E/x5303e05.htm#chapter%202:%2...
- nate_meurer 8y agoNo it's not. Only a tiny fraction of cattle are solely pastured. Each beef cow, even if pastured for the first year (which is typical) requires literally tons of high-calorie corn and or soy feed to bring it up to slaughter weight. Guess where that feed is grown. Besides, the range land you're talking about isn't needed for crops anyway. We have more than enough arable land to grow crops for direct human consumption.
- orthecreedence 8y agoAre you talking about all the land that used to be rainforest?
- stevenwoo 8y agoBeef is fattened on feedlots before slaughter, the exception is gourmet beef, which I doubt many people eat regularly. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/12/feedlots-vs-pastures-two-very-different-ways-to-fatten-beef-cattle/250543/ https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/12/feedlots-...
- X6S1x6Okd1st 8y agoHere is a really great article that covers a lot of ground in terms of what food is most efficient for protein both in terms of land & CO2. https://ourworldindata.org/yields-and-land-use-in-agriculture#land-use-by-food-type https://ourworldindata.org/yields-and-land-use-in-agricultur... EDIT: sorry here is the better link: https://ourworldindata.org/meat-and-seafood-production-consumption#efficiency-of-meat-production https://ourworldindata.org/meat-and-seafood-production-consu...
- PhasmaFelis 8y agoI don't know where you're getting your information, but it's not correct.
- bobcostas55 8y agoInstead of these abstract hypotheticals about efficiency, we can just look at the price. >At Hopdaddy in Scottsdale, Ariz., the Impossible Burger (using the original recipe) goes for $12.25. A classic burger made of Angus beef with the same basic toppings costs just $7.25.
- saagarjha 8y agoPrice has nothing to do with efficiency.
- bobcostas55 8y agoYou have a strange notion of efficiency if you think something that takes more resources to produce is also more efficient...