Connectivity: the key to counteracting the “eat something

other than beef” movement

Tim McAllister Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lethbridge Research and Development Centre Lethbridge, Alberta

What’s the challenge?

New York Times: December 2, 2015

Support of special interests:

• Exaggerated outcomes

• Narrow in scope

Not without some merit:

• Know the facts from fiction

• Understand the dynamics and inter-relationships

• Empower the public to make informed decisions

Understanding the message

• 68,500 beef farms

• Valued at $33 billion to the

economy

• 5th largest beef exporter globally

• 1.41 million tonnes of beef

produced in 2014

• As the world population increases

so does the global demand for

meat

The importance of beef in Canada

• Within the beef industry

• Beef industry and technology

developers

• Beef industry and beef

consumers

• Beef industry and the public

including vegetarians and

vegans

The importance of connectivity

• Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change

• Carbon Sequestration and Land Use Change

• Water Footprint

• Biodiversity

• Ecosystem Services

Areas of discussion

Global carbon budget

The cumulative contributions to the global carbon budget from 1870

Figure concept from Shrink That Footprint Source: CDIAC; NOAA-ESRL; Houghton et al 2012; Giglio et al 2013; Joos et al 2013; Khatiwala et al 2013;

Le Quéré et al 2015; Global Carbon Budget 2015

Agricultural emissions are increasing, but net forestry CO2

emissions have fallen recently

• AFOLU accounts for 24% of total anthropogenic GHG emissions

• AFOLU is the only sector where net emissions fell in the most recent decade

• Whilst agricultural non-CO2 GHG emissions increased, net CO2 emissions fell, mainly due to decreasing deforestation, and increased afforestation rates

Smith et al. (2014) – IPCC WGIII AR5

Emission intensity of AFOLU products is falling as

agriculture and forestry become more efficient

• Note that ruminant meat has a GHG intensity much higher than other agricultural products.

• But also note that these are direct emissions only. If we include the emissions from the human-edible feed for mono-gastric animal products, they move closer to ruminant meat.

Smith et al. (2014) – IPCC WGIII AR5

85%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

1981 2011

• Beef produced in Canada today produces 15% smaller

carbon footprint.

What we found

Cow-calf

Calf born in spring and left to pasture with mother Calves weaned at 7 months

2

Canadian beef production systems

Cows rebred in summer; following weaning go to winter

pasture, seasonal feeding

3 1

Finishing Backgrounding

+ Finishing

Backgrounding

Finishing

Calf-fed Backgrounder Yearling-fed

Cropland

Calf slaughtered ˜16 months

Calf slaughtered ˜18 months

Adapted from Legesse et al (2016)

Calf slaughtered ˜20 months

Processor

Ripple et al.(2014)

Big differences in

the GHG intensity

of different foods Not just meat – e.g. out-of-season, greenhouse grown vegetables also have high GHG intensity

Gerbens-Leenes et al. 2013. Water Resources and Industry 1: 25-36

Industrial

Mixed

Grazing

Poultry Pork Beef

Fee

d c

on

vers

ion

eff

icie

ncy

(

kg fe

ed

DM

/kg

me

at)

Feed conversion efficiency

Gerbens-Leenes et al. 2013. Water Resources and Industry 1: 25-36

Industrial

Mixed

Grazing

Poultry Pork Beef

Co

nce

ntr

ate

feed

in t

ota

l fee

d (

%)

Feed composition

2050 Agriculture-related emissions scenarios

How will food demand be met in future?

Smith (2014b)

Energy consumption by energy type - global

Energy consumption by fuel source from 2000 to 2014, with growth rates indicated for the more recent period of 2010 to 2014 for the globe

Source: BP 2015; Jackson et al 2015; Global Carbon Budget 2015

How does soil C sequestration work? –

Reduced disturbance

Carbon residence time in soils

Impact of grazing intensity on root development

Weaver 1950

L L M H

Manure – large & long-lasting effects

Rothamsted Hoosfield – Jenkinson 1998

Saturation – the time course of C

sequestration

Carbon neutral beef and the

Brazilian Cerrado

de Oliveira Silva, R. et al. (2016) Nature communications

Differences in carbon emissions 2006-2030

with and without deforestation

de Oliveira Silva, R. et al. (2016) Nature communications

Water footprint

BLUE water

GREEN water

GREY water

Fresh surface and groundwater

Rain water, that does not run off or recharge the groundwater (stored in

soil, vegetation)

Freshwater used to dilute

pollution

Water use in beef production

(cradle-to-farm gate)

Beef Cattle Type Weight Range

(LB)

Water Requirement

Range (L/day)*

Growing heifers,

steers and bulls 400-800 15-40

Finishing cattle 800-1000 27-55

Lactating cows 900 43-68

Dry cows 900-1100 22-37

Mature bulls >1400 30-55

*A result of the animals' environment and management. Estimates reflect an

ambient temperature of 4.4—32.2C.

Source: The Nutritional Requirements of Beef Cattle. 7th revised edition.

Washington, D.C.: National Research Council, update 2000.

Approximate total daily water intake of

beef cattle

Type of water use Cow-calf Stocker Feedlot

---- L/LB carcass weight ----

Drinking water consumed 26.3 4.5 6.6

Non-precipitation water use 256 120 491

*From representative cow–calf, stocker, and feedlot operations in Kansas,

Oklahoma and Texas.

Source: Rotz et al. (2015; J. Anim. Sci. 2015.93 :2509–2519).

Water use from beef operations in 3

States of USA*

Contribution to biodiversity • Tall-grass prairie (1-4%) • Short-grass prairie (45%) • Alberta- grasslands (43%) • Wetlands

Birds • Sage Grouse • Prairie song birds

Mammals • Black footed ferret • Swift fox

Plants • Short and Tall prairie grasses

Cow-calf and Backgrounding

on Natural and Tame

Pasture

Backgrounding and Finishing

in Feedlots

Feed (silage/grain) production

on Croplands

Beef Production and Ecosystem Services

Climate regulation

Soil quality regulation

Soil erosion regulation

Water quality regulation

Forage production

Disease regulation

Aesthetic value

(Agro-)Tourism and recreation

Cultural heritage

Air quality regulation

Invasive spp./brush regulation

Insect pest regulation

Livestock

Water supply

Habitat quality and biodiversity

Pasture management

Drug and pesticide use

Manure storage and handling

Invasive spp./brush management

grazing, chemical or mechanical

Natural area maintenance and protection

Fertiliser application

Feeding strategy

Tillage regime

Irrigation regime

Technologies to improve production

efficiency

• in animal population 11.8%

• in Feedstuffs 10.6%

• in Land area 10%

• in Water use 4.2%

• in C emissions 9.8%

• Effective implementation of 8.2% tax on beef production

Source: Capper and Hayes (2012)

“We envision a world in which all aspects of the

beef value chain are environmentally sound,

socially responsible and economically viable."

"The GRSB mission is to advance continuous

improvement in sustainability of the global beef

value chain through leadership, science and multi-

stakeholder engagement and collaboration."

Connectivity

Connectivity Livestock

Environmental Assessment and

Performance (LEAP)

Partnership

Take home points

• Conservation of mass – matter can not be created or destroyed – we are dealing with cycles.

• Newton’s Third Law - for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction – we need to be aware of our actions.

• “It is the way we have always done it and it is the way we are going to keep doing it in the future.”

• Consumers are evolving and the industry needs to evolve with them.

• Connectivity both inside and outside of industry will play a key role in ensuring the long term sustainability of the beef industry.

Contributing scientists

environmental footprint

G. Legesse, K. Beauchemin, K. Ominski, E. McGeough, R.

Kroebel, D. MacDonald, S. Little & T. McAllister

Principal Investigator

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the

Beef Cattle Research Council and Agriculture and Agri-

Food Canada through the Beef Cluster Project.

Acknowledgements

Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity

Sarah Pogue

Aklilu Alemu

Karen Beauchemin

Jim Byrne

Dan Farr

Henry Janzen

Roland Kroebel

Shannan Little

Danielle Maia de Souza

Myra Martel

Candace Vanin

The McAllister Research Team

2013

Thank you Questions?

Energy consumption by energy type - China

Energy consumption by fuel source from 2000 to 2014, with growth rates indicated for the more recent period of 2010 to 2014 for China

Source: BP 2015; Jackson et al 2015; Global Carbon Budget 2015