04/22/2026
Earth Day Myth vs. Fact 🌎🥩
Myth: Cattle compete directly with people for food.
Fact: Cattle are natural upcyclers – they convert grasses and other plants humans can’t digest into high-quality protein. They also utilize byproducts from the human food system, such as fruit and vegetable pulp or other processing leftovers, that might otherwise go to waste. By transforming human-inedible plants and food byproducts into nutrient-dense food, cattle play a unique role in making use of available resources. (1)
Sustainability conversations are complex – and on Earth Day, it’s worth recognizing the full picture of how food systems work. 🌱
1. Baber, J.R. et al., 2018. Estimation of human-edible protein conversion efficiency, net protein contribution, and enteric methane production from beef production from beef production in the United States. Trans. Anim. Sci. 2(4): 439-50.
