Source record
Reducing climate impacts of beef production: a synthesis of life cycle assessments across management systems and global regions
Daniela Cusack, et al. (2021). Global Change Biology.
Key findings
- Across 292 local comparisons, carbon-sequestration management reduced net beef GHG by 46% on average; efficiency strategies reduced it by 8%. Net-zero outcomes occurred in 2% of studies.
Record
- Source type
- Peer Reviewed Study
- Study type
- Meta Analysis
- Topics
- Climate & emissions, Land use
- Geography
- Global
- Funding & conflicts
- Not recorded.
- Source quality
- Moderate evidence
Limitations
- Soil carbon gains are site-specific, saturate over time and can reverse.
Claims this source supports
EnvironmentModerate evidence
Well-managed grazing can store some carbon in soil, but not enough to offset cattle's own emissions, and grass-fed beef generally has higher emissions per kg than grain-finished beef.
Better, in some ways, but not low-impact. Soil carbon gains are real, limited, and temporary.
Cite this record
Reducing climate impacts of beef production: a synthesis of life cycle assessments across management systems and global regions. The Balance of Health. https://thebalanceofhealth.com/sources/cusack-2021-reducing-climate-impacts-of-beef-production