Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Grass-fed beef, as its name implies, comes from animals that eat perennial grasses all their lives. In contrast, "Grain-fed" beef is what is most commonly sold in supermarkets. While all cattle are grass-fed at some point in their lives, conventionally raised cows spend the majority of their lives feeding on corn and other grains, typically in a confined feedlot.
So what's the big deal? Why is it so important to choose grass-fed when buying meat?
1. Grass-fed animals don't need the large quantities of antibiotics that feedlot cattle do.
2. Perennial grasses are better for soil.
3. Animals that are grass-fed their entire life are healthier--and their meat safer for you.
4. Grass-fed animals produce the right kind of fat.
5. The corn fed to feedlot cattle is fossil-fuel intensive and heavily subsidized.
6. Perennial pasture reduces flooding and pollution-laden runoff.
7. Perennial pasture is a carbon sink.
8. Modern grazing methods match the efficiencies of industrial-scale grain production.
9. Pastured animals are treated more humanely.
10. Grass-fed is more expensive.