Like all food production, red meat has an impact on the environment. But that doesn’t mean you should feel guilty for eating red meat. Actually, it means the opposite. Because when it comes to efforts to create a more sustainable industry, Australian red meat leads the way.
Red meat often gets a bad rap, having been linked to everything from deforestation to climate change. While raising livestock for food does require significant resources, Australian red meat producers care passionately about the environment. And it’s this passion that’s driving efforts to create a more sustainable industry. Need more convincing? Here’s four reasons why red meat should continue to be a part of your diet – guilt-free.
Because of Australia’s unique geological, topographic and climatic factors, less than 3% of Australia’s land is suitable for crop production. So, Australian cattle, sheep and goats make use of this non-arable land – that is, areas which aren’t suited for other farming such as crop production – converting pasture and shrubs into food.
Cows, sheep and goats largely consume a plant that cannot be eaten by humans – grass – converting this low nutrient plant into high-quality protein, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals that we can enjoy as part of a balanced diet.
Compared to other sectors, the Australian red meat industry may not be as big a contributor to national GHG emissions as you might think. The largest emitters are electricity generation (32.9%), stationary energy (21%), transport (18.6%). The red meat industry is significantly lower source of emissions at approximately 11%2.
On top of this, GHG emissions from agriculture are falling. The Australian red meat industry has already reduced net greenhouse gas emissions by 78.56% 1 since 2005. This reduction is larger than any other sector in Australia. Carbon neutral beef and lamb is already available from some producers.
Since Australian cattle and sheep typically graze on native grasses, bushes and pastures, red meat production requires little to no irrigation, so there’s not much competition for water. In reality, red meat consumption contributes only 3.7% of the total dietary water-scarcity footprint (the potential impact associated with the quantity of water consumption). Based on this data, consuming red meat is less impactful to water scarcity than most other food groups, even cereals.
The amount of water used in raising Australian beef cattle has reduced to average 486 litres per kilogram liveweight. They’ve been able to do this by applying a range of sustainable farming practices, such as:
It now takes 73% less water to produce1kg of beef than it did 35 years ago. Since 2017, the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework has tracked the industry’s water efficiency. You can read about the industry’s progress in the Annual update.
Further reducing net GHG emissions from grazing management, lot feeding and processing is a priority for the Australian red meat industry, which has a goal of being carbon neutral by 2030 (CN30). With the CN30 Roadmap guiding the industry towards achieving this target, Australian red meat producers are reducing net emissions through:
The Australian red meat industry cares about its impact on the environment. Reducing net GHG emissions, optimising land and water usage, and working towards its CN30 target are major goals for everyone involved. So, enjoy red meat as part of a balanced diet, and know that it’s doing a world of good.
1 Data analysed from 2021 National Greenhouse Gas Inventory and 2021 Greenhouse gas footprint of the red meat industry
2 Data analysed from Quarterly Update National Greenhouse Gas Inventory and 2021 Greenhouse gas footprint of the red meat industry
The Australian red meat and livestock industry's goal is to be carbon neutral by 2030 (CN30).
Australian lamb is already climate neutral and climate neutral beef can be achieved through adoption of production and waste reduction strategies.
How much water does it take to produce 1kg of beef? The red meat industry is more water-efficient than you might think.
How fresh approaches to grazing are helping farming and native biodiversity coexist.