NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
GOOGLE: SEARCH BEEF SUSTAINABILITY from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association President Don Schiefelbein As I talk to cattle producers throughout the country, I’m frequently asked why NCBA talks about sustainability. I know this word can generate alarm bells, but NCBA has embraced this topic because sustainable exactly describes American cattle production. It is our duty to share the sustainability story of our industry and help to keep the media, policymakers and consumers informed with the most accurate, science-based information of beef sustainability. The daily practices you employ on your farm or ranch contribute to cattle industry sustainability, whether you associate the word with them or not. All of us in the industry have a connection to land and our businesses would not survive unless we cared about protecting healthy grasses, rich soils and clean water. All these practices ensure that our way of life can continue for generations — that’s sustainability. Recently, NCBA learned that Google was implementing a new search feature that would steer consumers away from beef. If someone Googled a recipe, the feature would show the carbon emissions associated with the recipe and how those emissions could change depending on the main ingredients used. As you might expect, beef is at the top of the list for protein-related emissions in this feature. Through singling out carbon emissions, this Google feature will mislead consumers into believing that they should not choose beef as a sustainable part of a nutritious diet. This search feature is flawed for many reasons, but at the top of the list is Google’s failure to account for the full, sciencebased picture of the sustainability of beef production. To create this feature, Google is relying on data from the United Nations, which pulls from a few different sources to provide a general estimate of carbon emissions per kg of food. In any of these instances, beef will always come out looking to be the most impactful food option and this is primarily due to the methodology used to estimate carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, placing a higher weight on the short-lived greenhouse gas, methane, than the long-lived carbon dioxide. However, in a system as complex as beef production, a short-sighted view on greenhouse gas emissions is misleading and, frankly, dangerous. As soon as we heard about this issue, NCBA contacted Google and the media about our concerns with this feature. We pushed back on the claim that Google’s feature would improve “sustainable” eating by highlighting all the conservation practices that cattle producers employ. We also argued that true sustainability is about more than just carbon in the atmosphere; it’s about protecting land, strengthening rural communities, and feeding a hungry world with the high-quality protein that is beef. When NCBA released sustainability goals last year, 12 California Cattleman December 2022
we recognized that measuring true sustainability means considering the entire impact of beef on the environment and society. While emissions play a role — and the science consistently proves that the U.S. has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions from cattle of any country in the world — sustainability should also reflect beef ’s value to the environment. For example, cattle grazing improves grassland soil health and helps grasses store more carbon. Grazing also reduces wildfire fuels, which protects communities throughout the country. Since 1975, American cattle producers have reduced emissions by more than 30% while producing more beef per animal. The result is fewer emissions with more beef to feed the world. As a protein source, beef plays an important role in our diet. Beef provides essential nutrients like vitamin B12, folate and iron, which are especially important for growing children and pregnant women. The cattle industry also supports the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Americans, not only producers, but also truck drivers who haul cattle, feed producers, equipment manufacturers, veterinarians and more. Keeping rural communities strong, feeding the world, and caring for our nation’s land is sustainable in my book. All these practices ensure that our way of life can continue for generations to come, and that is the pinnacle of sustainability. Unfortunately, only a small number of Americans ever see a farm or ranch, and the media has spread the myth of “factory farming.” To combat this narrative, we use words like sustainability to talk about the hard work and dedication that goes into raising cattle. While companies like Google may have billions of dollars to spread their message, we have the truth and data on our side. Every day, NCBA is fighting back against the falsehoods being spread about the cattle industry. We’re in the trenches so you don’t have to be, and you can focus on what you do best: raising the highest quality beef in the world. Thank you for placing your trust in NCBA. By being a member, you’ve shown that you have our backs in this fight.