Gear up to be part of an important conversation about beef and dairy production and the environment. A report published on Monday by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization, is advocating for Meatless Mondays by providing a comprehensive assessment of 20 popular protein-packed foods. Although obviously a skewed study that doesn’t even take into account beef and dairy by-products, the group looked at the environmental impact of production, processing, transportation, cooking and waste before reaching the conclusion that people should eat less meat and dairy. EWG picks on lamb, beef, pork, cheese and farmed salmon as the protein-packed foods that take the largest toll on the environment.
No, I much rather prefer “Meaty Mondays” over Meatless Mondays. And, it’s high time we start initiating conversations with the folks who want to cut nutrient-dense foods like beef and dairy from school lunch programs and transition us to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. As a rancher, runner and beef lover, I confidently enjoy beef and dairy nearly every day, knowing it’s sustainable, ethically sound and environmentally friendly.
I encourage you to check out the EWG study here, and join in on conversations about this biased report. Here are a few resources and past blog posts to reference when you do:
-Ranchers Are Every Day Conservationists
-Clearing The Air On Cattle And The Environment
-Agriculture Was Green Before Green Was Cool
-Ag Facts: Cattle, Corn, Greenhouse Gases, Hormones, Heart Disease
-Consumer Writes: Quit Picking On My Friends, Thank A Farmer
-Don't Blame Cows For Climate Change
Once again, this study has enough hype and scare tactics to propel the vegan and Meatless Mondays agendas forward. While this study is completely skewed, it's our task to get the correct information out to the general public and alleviate their fears, guilt and concerns about beef and dairy in the diet. What's your take on Meatless Mondays? How do you enjoy Meaty Mondays each and every day?
